Let the Light Decide
by Saintsavory
Summary: Sequel to The Peril of Proximity. "On one hand, we know that everything happens for a reason, and there are no mistakes or coincidences. On the other hand, we learn that we can never give up, knowing that with the right tools and energy, we can reverse any decree or karma. So, which is it? Let the Light decide, or never give up? The answer is: both." – Yehuda Berg
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This story is the most angst-ridden story I've written, so if you've opened this in hopes of sunshine and rainbows, you're not going to find that here.

A special thanks to my beta, Nicki (grandmasbackyardblog).

* * *

 **Prologue**

Self-preservation has its rules, not the first of which is to never, _ever_ fall in love. That had been easy her entire life—sure she'd loved girls _in the moment_ , but leaving them the next morning was just as simple as getting them into her bed (or someone else's bed, to be fair.)

Alex Vause grew up taking care of herself. Her mom worked two, sometimes three jobs, to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. Diane wasn't there when she got her first period or when she won that essay contest in which her teacher had entered her in sixth grade. Alex never held a grudge—she loved her mother deeply and understood what _sacrifice_ meant better than most kids her age. She knew how to wash clothes, clip coupons, and sweet talk collection agencies by the ripe age of 12. No one taught her those things; she figured them out on her own as a matter of survival.

She never had real friends growing up. There was the occasional weed-smoking buddy who hung out with her in the grocery store parking lot after school, but there were no sleepovers or play dates for Alex. Her mom stopped enquiring about potential friendships when Alex became a teenager, probably because she was tired of hearing the same, _I don't need anybody when I have you_ , response.

Her mother's motto, which she reminded her daughter of almost daily, was _, "You and me against the world, kid_." Alex had wanted her first tattoo to read as much, but getting that many words tattooed on her hip was too expensive, so she settled on a freehand drawing of a salt shaker on her shoulder for $30.

As soon as she was old enough, Alex scored a job at S&W Supermarket, which did nothing to increase her cool factor at school. Not that she cared what other's thought of her—that ended in the fifth grade when she realized that assholes like Jessica Wedge just wanted to kiss boys. She'd never wanted to kiss them and couldn't understand the appeal of sweaty, stinky, stupid boys. She cared about rock and roll, her mom, and earning a paycheck.

The first girl she kissed, Barb Grossman, a high school dropout who still hung out in their boring ass town, was 10 years her senior. Barb taught her how to roll a joint, and in exchange, she wanted Alex's tongue in her mouth. It was that summer when Alex realized _why_ she didn't like boys.

Identifying as gay back then made her even more of an outcast than she already was, but Alex didn't mind. She vowed to make something of her life, and then return to Boringville years later as a millionaire and rub it in their smug, pathetic little faces. She didn't have a plan for how she'd make her first million, but she was confident it would happen in her lifetime.

Diane wanted her daughter to go to college, but both Vauses knew that wasn't in the cards financially. Alex didn't even apply to the local state school—her grades were shit because she didn't turn in assignments, but her teachers knew her intelligence quotient was being wasted, and that one day, she'd regret her rebelliousness.

Alex's string of dating older women continued after high school when she found herself moving in with a 28-year-old drug dealer in Northampton, Massachusetts. Zoey Brighton was a savvy brunette who preyed on younger women in the college town to coax them into the drug world. She'd seduce her mules with sex & money, and Alex was captivated from the start by all of her material goods.

Zoey took an immediate liking to Alex–her long & shiny black hair, her mysterious ever-present confidence—noting she was wise beyond her 19 years. She wined and dined the impressionable 19-year-old, and before Alex knew it, she was living with her in an elaborate house and selling dime bags to Smith students. Alex raked in more money in a week than the rest of Zoey's mules brought-in in a typical month, so she moved up in the ranks at lightning speed. Before her 21st birthday, Alex was in charge of the seduction of potential mules and reported to some guy named Fahri, whom she had yet to meet in person.

After realizing the power she had over women, Alex left Zoey and became more of a Bohemian lover. She never slept with the same girl twice, which allowed her to use her web of influence on many unsuspecting bi-curious girls. She moved in with two other women in the drug trade, one of whom she slept with when she needed to forget about the life she was living. Trouble was, that woman, Sylvie, began falling in love with the brunette, and Alex had no interest in _love_.

Sylvie was the jealous type and had a bad temper, which didn't mesh well with Alex's love 'em and leave 'em lifestyle. She knew that her rank in the international drug cartel was increasing, and she only had to bide her time before she could get a place of her own or start traveling the world with the movers and shakers of the cartel.

* * *

Turning unsuspecting women into drug mules was a skill that she'd developed 11 years earlier, and she learned very quickly not to go for the most beautiful girl in the room; go for the innocent beauty—the one whose looks were unassuming and simple. Those were the ones who made the best mules, because they didn't draw immediate attention, yet if a person stared at them long enough, they'd recognize natural beauty. Although Alex was far enough up the food chain to not have to recruit mules any more, from time to time she couldn't help herself. Hiring women to do her bidding was a power trip, and when she needed a little ego boost, she set out to score another mule for the cartel.

When she saw Piper Chapman in a pub for the first time, Alex's first instinct was to try to hire her. Sure, she was older than the typical mule, but she had the kind beauty that screamed, _you can trust me_. As soon as Piper opened her mouth, accusing the brunette of stealing her bar stool, all bets were off. Piper was too feisty to be a mule, but she was intriguing as a potential lover. Her preppy-looking boyfriend walked in moments after their introduction, and Alex made it her singular goal to coax the blonde into her web. She hadn't had much of an interest in 'turning straight girls' in the past, but this one seemed…different.

Alex didn't believe in luck—she believed in fate and destiny. _Fuck coincidence_ , she thought, and as fate would have it, Piper Chapman just so happened to live next door to the dark haired woman. _Game on_.

Little did Alex know that the unassuming blonde would flip her very existence upside down and throw her self-preservation right out the window.

* * *

Reflecting on the last six months, Alex was able to identify the moment when Piper Chapman stole her heart. It wasn't during their first meeting or at the dinner at Piper and Larry's apartment. It was the evening when the blonde had locked herself out of her house and came to Alex for help.

They'd sat on her $6,000 sofa, drank tea and listened to records. Piper had already proven how clever she was several nights earlier, not just with her knowledge of British literature and philosophy, but her ability to connect music from one artist to the next. It sounded simple, the brunette acknowledged, but Piper's comment about Dev Hynes' beats sounding like the Chemical Brothers was the singular moment she felt the twinge of something greater than _like_. Of course, Alex did not and could not recognize that feeling back then, but she sure as hell could point to it now.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: This picks up where _The Peril of Proximity_ left off.

* * *

The two days that Alex spent in New York felt like two hours—it wasn't enough time to shower her lover with kisses and promises, and she regretted having to get on a plane later that evening.

"Don't go," Piper pleaded, lifting her head off of Alex's naked chest. "Let this be your first mistake."

"Don't be ridiculous, I…"

The blonde leaned up and kissed her soundly, effectively shutting Alex up.

"Forty-eight hours ago, you said that the only way to exit the cartel was by making small, reconcilable mistakes," she stated, wiping her lover's glistening lower lip. "Wouldn't this be one of those mistakes? You could always take a flight in the morning."

"Have you always been this smart?" Alex asked, kissing her on the cheek. "And persistent?"

"You have no idea." The blonde grinned. (Alex _did_ have an idea and would never underestimate the intelligence and determination of her lover.)

Ultimately, Alex ended up delaying her flight and catching one early the next morning. If anyone asked if she regretted that decision, she'd answer with a resounding, _fuck no_. How could she regret making her lover cum for the twelfth time in two days?

* * *

Her first night in Berlin was unpleasant to say the least. Fahri was uncompromisingly upset with Alex's 24-hour delay, which nearly cost the cartel their most profitable German clients. The brunette got an earful about how she needed to remedy the situation, and she was granted another 24 hours to do so.

Alex almost intentionally blew it—she knew that was a sure way out of the cartel, but she wasn't sure how far Fahri and the leadership might have gone to ensure she was indeed _out for good_. The one thing she conveniently didn't mention to Piper was that Kubra ordering a hit on her was also an option. She had to be smart about every move she made from here on out, and fucking up the German deal would not be wise at all.

The dark haired woman arranged a night on the town for the Kuster brothers from Berlin; if there was one thing she was great at, it was partying and using wads of cash to seduce clients. She complimented the men throughout dinner, expensing the $3,000 meal, of course, and confirmed that there were two 'for hire' girls who would appeal to the slimy German men. Alex arranged for the girls to show up at the club, where she bought $200 shots of whiskey for the men and their now, _dates_. She also provided a private space for the brothers to shoot Heroin off of the girls' bodies. Alex wasn't proud of this part of her job, and she didn't have to do this sort of thing often, but when she did, she did it right.

When she collapsed in her hotel bed that night, Alex knew this wasn't the sort of thing that her lover needed to know about her job. In fact, she felt gross and used, something she hadn't felt since before her 21st birthday. What was important in the end was keeping the brothers from Berlin as clients, and saving her own neck in the process.

* * *

Six nights in Berlin were followed by five nights in Oslo, and Alex had Fahri back on her side. She'd come through on her promise to keep the Kuster family in their good graces, and her boss rewarded her with a few free days on the company's dime. She wasted no time in contacting Piper.

" _God morgen_ ," she said in a Danish accent. " _Nogensinde været til Copenhagen_?"

"Was that your best attempt at Danish?" Piper questioned with a slight giggle.

" _Ikke min bedste forsog, nej_ ," the brunette replied with a grin.

"Then perhaps you should keep working on it." Alex swore she could hear the blonde smirking. "Did you know that speakers of Norwegian generally understand both Danish and Swedish far better than Swedes or Danes understand each other?" Piper asked. "And no, I've never been to Copenhagen."

"It's pretty fucking sexy when you come up with random facts like that." The dark haired woman flopped onto the hotel bed, phone pressed firmly to her ear. "And when you understand Scandinavian languages."

"Yeah?" Piper switched to her best sultry voice. "Wanna know what I'm wearing?"

Alex rubbed her forehead with her thumb and forefinger. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Do baggy khaki pants and an oversized white t-shirt turn you on?"

"Way to kill the mood, babe." She sat up. "Why are you dressed like a prisoner?"

"I'm helping Polly paint the kitchen," she replied in a more normal tone. "I put on some of Pete's old clothes so I wouldn't get paint all over mine."

"That sounds like fun." Alex rolled her eyes.

"It's the least I can do for Polly after she let me stay here for three months," she responded.

"True." The brunette stood and began to get ready for bed. "I hate painting. I mean, _loathe_ it, but if I was in New York, I'd help you."

"That's really sweet, Alex."

"I'm nothing if not sweet," she replied, batting her eyelashes.

"I know you can't see me, but let it be known that I'm rolling my eyes," Piper said.

She removed her blouse. "So can you meet me in Denmark on Thursday?"

" _This_ Thursday? As in three days from now?" Piper asked.

"Yes," the dark haired woman began. "It's rare that I ever have more than a week's notice about when I can take time off."

"I'd like that," the blonde replied. "But let me check with Polly to see if I need to be here."

Alex smirked. "Promise I'll make it worth your while."

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry this was such a short chapter. The next one is longer, and the angst is on its way.


	3. Chapter 3

Piper arrived in Copenhagen to a very eager Alex. The brunette wasted no time whisking her lover to the hotel and making love to her for hours. The women hadn't seen each other in two weeks, and in that time, Alex missed the blonde more than she'd anticipated. She had nothing to compare her feelings to—being in love was a new sensation, and she didn't know the rules.

"I missed you," Alex admitted as they began falling asleep.

"Mmm." Piper squeezed her tighter. "I missed you more."

"Doubtful." She replied in a slow, sleepy voice.

They fell asleep shortly after their fifth round of sex.

Alex woke up before her lover, and was greeted by the early morning sunshine. She rubbed a hand down Piper's bare back and kissed her on the shoulder before getting out of bed to check her messages. She'd turned her phone off the night before, promising the blonde no distractions as they became reacquainted. As her phone powered up, she opened her laptop to check her e-mail. Her phone buzzed four times, indicating four voice messages. It wasn't uncommon to receive voicemail even when she was technically off work, but it alarmed her when she noticed that all four messages were from Fahri.

Message 1: "The package was supposed to arrive by 10 o'clock last night in Roskilde. No one can get a hold of Markita. Call when you get this message."

Message 2: "It's 11 p.m.," Fahri sighed. "Pederson still hasn't received the package. Call me immediately."

Message 3: "Now I'm more than a little alarmed. I realize you're off the clock, but you arranged this shipment, and Markita is nowhere to be found. I'm calling the airport to see if the package is with unclaimed luggage. I expect your call within the hour to fix this."

Message 4: "This is my final message, Alex," Fahri said harshly. "The package is still at the airport and you need to find a way to retrieve it before 1 p.m. today." He paused. "We cannot have $50,000 disappear! I've got a crew out there, trying to locate Markita, and this doesn't bode well for her or for you. Fix this!"

"Fuck," Alex said under her breath. She noticed that Fahri had called a total of 10 times, the most recent call was at 4 a.m.

Once her laptop powered on, she opened a spreadsheet, looking at a few numbers, and then called Markita, leaving a stern message about the importance of a returned call. Alex stepped onto the balcony and steeled herself for the call she was about to make. Her nerves were in stark contrast to her lover's sleeping form just a few feet away.

"Fahri." She ran a hand through her tousled hair. "My phone was off all night."

"When has that ever been acceptable?" He asked in a deceptively calm voice.

"I was off work and..."

"For the amount of money I pay you, you are NEVER _off work_!" He yelled, and then let out a long breath. "My men found Markita in Abu Dhabi. Needless to say, she won't be employed by us any longer. I need you to get to the Roskilde Airportand retrieve the package."

"I can't," she admitted hesitantly, closing her eyes.

"Excuse me?"

Alex put her glasses on top of her head and turned to look at her lover again in the king sized bed, still sprawled out on the crisp, white sheets. Piper looked like an angel, floating on clouds. Alex thought it was a damn shame that she wasn't a painter; she would love to have captured that moment.

"You gave me three days off, Fahri, and I'm taking advantage of it."

"That's very funny, Alex," the man laughed wickedly before adding, "If that package has not been picked up and delivered to the Pederson residence in the next two hours, you'll lose more than your job."

Piper stirred, and Alex watched her eyes flutter open. It brought a smile to the brunette's face, but

her joy lasted mere seconds as she concentrated on Fahri's ultimatum.

"I'll see what I can do." With that, she hung up and walked back into the room to greet her sleepy lover with a kiss. "Good morning."

"Morning." Piper stretched and placed a hand on the dark haired woman's thigh. "Who were you talking to?"

Alex glanced away as she sat on the bed, not in any way looking forward to what she was about to say. "I have to run an errand."

"Where?" The blonde flipped onto her back, removing her hand from her lover's leg. "I'll go with you."

"The Roskilde Airport," she replied, brushing Piper's hair off herforehead. "Someone left a package that I need to claim and bring to the owner."

Piper tensed up. "Is it drugs?"

"No." Alex shook her head. "Money."

"I thought you were off work for three days?" The blonde pouted.

"I _was_. I _am_." Alex stood and walked towards the balcony, letting the sunlight hit her pale skin. She turned slowly to face her lover. "I'm never fully off work, Piper, and shit happens. I'm sorry, but I have to do this."

It was the blonde's turn to stand. She put on a robe and straightened her hair with her fingertips. "Is this how it's going to be? I meet you in some exotic location, and you get called away for half the time?"

"It's not going to be half the time," the dark haired woman explained. "Four hours tops. You can come with me."

"I'm not making a fucking _drug run_ with you, Alex," she said, tightening the robe around her waist.

"Then stay here." She shrugged as she reached for Piper's arm, tugging her closer. She placed a string of tiny kisses down the column of Piper's neck and was rewarded with a low moan. "Enjoy the morning in Copenhagen. I'll be back around 1 and we can have a late lunch."

"Only if you promise no more interruptions." She ran her fingertips down Alex's cheek.

"Cross my heart."

The brunette kissed her lover on the lips before padding into the bathroom to take a quick shower. On the one hand, she wanted Piper to join her in the errand, but on the other, she wanted to get the hell out of the hotel so that she could run the errand, on her own, as quickly as possible.

* * *

Piper's Scandinavian visit didn't go as well as Alex had expected—they were able to reconnect and pick up from where things had left off sexually; however, the brunette was interrupted by Fahri a total of four times during Piper's three-night stay. She made a mental note to have a conversation with her boss the next time she saw him about what 'time off' really meant. In the past, a few interruptions was no big deal, but now that she was in a relationship, every minute away from Piper was difficult.

Alex had two more week-long trips scheduled before she could return to New York, and she promised Piper her undivided attention when she returned home. She made good on her promise the first two nights in New York, but the next interruption did not come from Fahri.

Alex's mobile phone had rung once an hour for the past three, but she'd silenced it each time when she didn't recognize the number. This time, she figured she should answer since the caller seemingly wasn't going away.

"Who in the hell keeps calling me?" she mumbled, reaching for her phone. "Hello?"

"Is this Alex Vause?" a man's voice came through the phone.

"Who is this?" The brunette rested her back against the headboard.

"Detective Dobbs from the NYPD," came the response. "Am I speaking with Ms. Alex Vause?"

She sat ramrod straight. "Yeah. What's going on?"

Piper covered herself up with the sheet and watched her lover's reaction to the caller.

"There appears to have been a break-in at your home," he began. "You're at 142 West 28th Street?"

"That's my address, yes." Alex creased her brow. "A break-in?"

"Yes ma'am. We've tried contacting your landlord, but he hasn't returned our call. We have a couple of officers on site. Looks like some vandalism inside the home. Is it possible for you to meet the detectives there within the hour?"

"Yes, I'll be right there." She hung up and jumped out of bed. "Someone broke into my apartment."

"Oh my God," Piper said as she followed the brunette. "Do they know if anything was stolen?"

"Fuck, where are my clothes?" The brunette went from room to room, retrieving a sock here, jeans there, until she was able to successfully put together some semblance of an outfit.

While Polly spent time at Pete's place, Piper and Alex had been holed up inside Polly's apartment for two days, and Alex hadn't worn so much as a bra during that time. She couldn't count the number of times they'd had sex, but her lips were swollen and her back was sore.

The blonde put on a gray t-shirt and black yoga pants. "I'm coming with you."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Alex combed her hair with her fingertips and slung her purse over her shoulder. "Did you forget that your boyfriend lives next door?"

"God, Larry," she said as if realization dawned on her. "I'm going to call him to see if he heard anything."

"No." The dark haired woman grabbed Piper's phone out of her hands. "I don't want him involved in this."

"Alex, he could be helpful," she protested.

"Do whatever you want. I've got to go." The brunette tossed her phone onto the bed. "I'll call when I know something."

And just like that, Alex was out the door for the first time in two days.

* * *

The sun was so bright she could barely see anything upon stepping outside, and she cursed herself for leaving her sunglasses on the airplane. She walked two blocks before she was able to hail a taxi. She gave him the address and waited impatiently for the traffic lights to change from red to green. The cab hardly stopped before she threw $10 across the seat and jumped out.

"Hi, I'm Alex Vause. This is my apartment," she anxiously announced to a woman in a police uniform.

"Ms. Vause, I'm Detective Kramer. You have any identification on you?"

"How'd they break in?" The brunette fished in her purse and pulled her driver's license out of her wallet. "Can you tell if anything is gone?"

The detective glanced at the ID and returned it. "Looks like someone broke the front window, and then reached inside to unlock the door. We can't tell if anything was stolen since we don't know what was in your apartment in the first place."

The officer accompanied Alex inside, and she walked around with firm instructions not to touch anything unless authorized to do so. There were two other detectives inside, taking prints and writing notes.

"You might want to check upstairs," Detective Kramer said.

The living room and kitchen looked messy, and there were a few broken records, but it wasn't as bad as she'd imagined. Alex ran up the flight of stairs and went into her bedroom where she saw, _Whore_ , spray painted on the wall with red paint. "My God."

"Any idea who might've done this?" Kramer asked.

At first, Alex shook her head. "Wait, it could be my lunatic ex-girlfriend, Sylvie London. She tried to break in a few months ago. Can you call someone at the station to see if she's still locked up?"

The officer nodded while Alex looked around her bedroom. One of her drawers was completely out of the dresser, and the brunette realized it was where she kept her lingerie. The only remaining item in the drawer was a pair of plain, black underwear.

She felt her phone buzzing in her pocket and saw that it was Piper calling. "Hi, I'm at my apartment. Can I call you back?"

"Is everything alright?" Alex could hear worry in her voice.

"It doesn't look like they took anything valuable," she commented. "I'll call you soon."

The next hour was spent with two officers asking a series of questions. Alex had already missed her flight and didn't even realize it until she saw Fahri's name show up on her iPhone. "Fuck, I have to take this. Excuse me."

Alex explained the situation to Fahri, who was not at all pleased with the delay. She hadn't told Piper that she'd already delayed her departure by three hours _just to be with her_ , and now it was looking more like she wouldn't be able to get to Lima until the following day.

As the sun was setting and Alex was about to leave, she ran into her neighbor who was seemingly coming back from the grocery store.

"Well, look who it is," Larry greeted. "The home wrecker."

"My fucking house was broken into," she began, pissed at his insensitivity. "Did you see anyone suspicious hanging around?"

"You mean like your drug goons?" He adjusted the bag of groceries to his other arm. "Haven't seen them in a while."

"The police might need a statement from you," she said, ignoring his sarcasm.

"You ruined my life." Larry inserted the key into his door. "I'm not going to do a damn thing to help you, Alex."

"Wait a minute." She leaned over the railing towards her neighbor. "It was you. _You_ fucking did this."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said with a huff.

"Detective Kramer?" she called. "Would you mind questioning this man? His name is Larry Bloom, and he hates me because I'm _fucking_ his ex-girlfriend."

"Sir, would you mind if we took a few minutes of your time?" Kramer put her hands on her hips.

"I don't have anything to say." He opened the door and tried to shut it, but the detective ran up the steps to stop him.

"Mr. Bloom, did you have something to do with the break in next door?"

"No, I didn't." He eyed Alex.

"Then you won't mind if Detective Ramos and I step inside." She shoved her way past him.

When the two officers and Larry disappeared, Alex pulled out her phone. She relayed everything to Piper who was out of her mind with rage.

"Calm down, Piper. I don't _know_ if it was him," she said as she tried to patch the broken window. "But I'm pretty sure he hates me enough to do something like this."

The blonde gave her an earful and hung up the phone after telling her lover that she was on her way over there, whether she liked it or not.

* * *

The night proved to be a long one, with Alex cleaning up her apartment, patching up the window, packing for a 6 a.m. flight, and meeting with the landlord about breaking the lease. Piper spent half an hour next door, alone with her ex-boyfriend. The brunette heard yelling through the wall, but she didn't insert herself into the situation. She knew all too well that a spat between ex-lovers should remain just that.

By 11 o'clock, both women were exhausted. They showered together, but neither was in the mood for sex despite the fact that they'd yet to fuck in the shower—something Alex made a mental note to remedy the next time they saw each other.

They initially had no intention of staying at Alex's apartment, but their weariness won that battle, and they collapsed on her bed just before midnight.

"Do you think he did it?" The brunette asked, rolling over to face her lover.

"Yeah, I do," she sighed. "But they'll never pin it on him. Even if they try, his father would get him off before it went to court."

"Sounds dirty."

"This is serious." Piper playfully shoved Alex.

"I know." The dark haired woman kissed her forehead. "Just trying to make light of a fucked up situation." It was Alex's turn to sigh. "My flight's at 6 tomorrow morning. Want me to wake you or would you rather sleep in?"

"Was Fahri upset that you delayed your flight?" Piper asked, ignoring the brunette's question.

"Furious," she admitted. "Unintentional mistake number two is in the books."

The blonde rubbed the pad of her thumb across Alex's cheek. "Will you get in trouble?"

"Piper, how much do you really want to know about my work?" She propped her head up with her hand, elbow curved on the mattress. "I'll tell you every little detail if that's what you want, but something tells me that wouldn't be healthy for the two of us."

The blonde mirrored her position. "Tell me what you think I need to know."

Alex forced a smile. "That's not going to be a whole hell of a lot."

"If that's the way it has to be for now, I guess I can live with that." She ran her hand down the curve of her lover's hip. "I just want you to be careful."

"Promise." She kissed her lightly on the lips. "We should get some sleep."

"Good night, Alex."

"Night."


	4. Chapter 4

Four months, six countries, and five mistakes later, Alex found herself summoned by Fahri at the hotel bar in Budapest. The dimly lit space was mostly empty at mid-day, and the dark haired woman found her boss at the far end of the bar, nursing a martini.

"Alex, glad you could make it." Fahri greeted her with a kiss on each cheek. "What'll you have?" He raised his hand, summoning the bartender.

"Talisker, rocks," the brunette ordered. She turned to her companion. "I didn't think you'd be in Budapest this time around."

"I made a special trip to see you." He loosened the knot in his silk tie. "You haven't been on your A game lately."

"You've noticed." She took a long drag of Scotch, and then focused on the way the liquid 'legs' glided down the inside of the glass like tears.

"It's hard not to when we lose half a million dollars in two weeks." He smiled mischievously. "And that has everything to do with _your_ performance."

"You're right," she admitted with a huff. "I fucked up. I made the connection too tight in Munich for Kyra, and I listed the wrong hotel in Mexico City for Aziz."

"You're forgetting the missed drop in Turin." He sipped his cocktail, but kept his eyes trained on his companion.

Alex rubbed her temples and remained silent.

"Is something going on in your personal life that's making you lose focus?" he asked, turning slightly on the bar stool to face the brunette.

"No," she lied. "I just haven't been sleeping well since my apartment was broken in to."

"We can hire protection if that would make you feel safer," Fahri offered.

She shook her head. "Thank you, but that's unnecessary. The prick who did it won't try anything stupid again."

"Good. Hopefully that will allow you to get your head back in the game." He swiveled his stool around to face the bar, and his gaze was focused straight ahead. "Because one more mistake, Alex, and you're done."

She glanced at Fahri's right hand, which was gripping the stem of the martini glass so hard that Alex wondered if it might break. "Understood."

"Very well." He gave her a devilish grin and changed the topic. "So, tell me about Zurich."

Alex's palms were clammy, but she didn't let on; instead, she wrapped them around her cold glass. She'd learned at a young age never to let them see you sweat.

* * *

Alex had seen Fahri's reaction to someone with whom he was upset in the cartel several times before—and he had instilled a decent amount of fear in her in Budapest—but she was still dead-set on her plan to fuck up enough to be asked to leave the cartel.

She didn't know if she was being paranoid or if there were a few people sent to spy on her—from the blonde who seemingly tailed her on her way to the airport to the well-dressed man who followed her from the lobby to the business center, and finally to the 14th floor of the hotel—it all pointed to the fact that Fahri probably wanted to know her whereabouts at all times and resorted to espionage to get that information.

As she checked into The Ritz-Carlton in Vienna, her thoughts shifted to Piper, whom she hadn't seen since the robbery. She was probably changing flights in Heathrow at that very moment to meet her for a brief, three-day trip.

Alex dropped her suitcase in the room, and then proceeded to take a long, hot shower. She climbed into the king sized bed and dozed off for God-knows-how-long until a knock on the door woke her.

"Who's there?" she asked, rubbing her eyes and walking towards the door.

"It's me."

She unlocked the door and smiled widely at her lover standing two feet in front of her. "God, am I glad to see you." She kissed Piper firmly on the mouth, and then drug her inside.

"Me too," Piper whispered between kisses.

Their relationship was still new and tender, and not enough time together on a regular basis led to pleasantries being exchanged while clothes were being shed. Alex figured they could catch up on life _after_ making love. (To be fair, the third or fourth time they had sex could properly be called, _making love_ , but truth be told, they _fucked_ the first two times.)

Although Piper had never had sex with a woman prior to Alex, the dark haired woman thought she was a quick study. The things that woman could do with her long, thin fingers were astonishing.

"How's the plan coming along?" The blonde kissed a path across her lover's chest.

Alex let out a long breath and looked up at the ceiling. "Dangerously."

Piper lifted her head. "What?"

"I'm not going to lie to you." She kept her eyes trained on the gold chandelier hanging eight feet above them. "It's not as easy as I thought it would be."

The blonde sat up. "It might not be easy, but you just said, _dangerous_."

Alex turned to face her lover and saw fear etched on her face, but proceeded anyway. "Did you think it _wouldn't_ be dangerous? That it would just take some time, and I'd escape Scott free?"

Piper threw a t-shirt over her head and backed further away on the bed. "That's what you led me to believe."

"No, I didn't." It was the dark haired woman's turn to sit up. "I warned you that it wasn't going to be easy, and I told you that getting out of the cartel is not like quitting a job in corporate America. It's much more complicated and dangerous than that."

"You have never used that word-"

"What word?"

" _Dangerous_." Piper stood with her hands on her hips.

"Come on, Piper, you're not naïve enough to think that there was no risk involved!" Alex let out an incredulous laugh. "I work for a fucking _drug cartel_!"

The blonde took a small step closer to the bed, where her lover still sat bare chested. "Alex, are you afraid for your life?"

"I'm scared out of my fucking mind! I've seen what happens to people who leave, and it's far from sunshine and rainbows when they walk away… _if_ they walk away." She looked down and ran a hand through her hair. "My life could be in jeopardy, so yes, I'm afraid."

"Don't you think you should've mentioned that you could be _killed_ if you tried to leave?"

Alex shook her head. "Don't put this on me."

"Don't put this on _you_? Who the hell am I supposed to blame?" Piper jutted a thumb towards her own chest. "Me? Are you blaming _me_?"

"I'm not blaming you," she stood, suddenly feeling every bit as naked as she was, and put on a tank top. "I'm just saying that _you're_ the one who wants me to get out of this job, and it's not a fucking cake walk!"

"This is unbelievable!" The blonde slipped on a pair of pants and searched the room for her other shoe. " _You're_ unbelievable!"

"Piper, calm down." She reached for her lover's arm, but Piper pulled away.

"I gave you a choice," Piper began in what could only be described as a contrived calm tone. " _Me_ or your job. You looked me in the eye and picked me."

"I _do_ pick you!" Alex reached for her arm again, and this time was able to capture the blonde's wrist. "I want to be with you, Piper. I wouldn't be…" She paused and looked at her feet. "I wouldn't risk my life for some half-ass relationship that I didn't think would last. I _want_ to be with you."

Piper turned her back to her lover, and Alex thought she was about to deliver an _it was good while it lasted_ speech. She tried to get her breathing under control and steel herself for hurt and disappointment, but then Piper turned around and collapsed into her lover's arms. Alex could feel warm tears fall onto her shoulders.

"I don't want you to put your life in jeopardy for me," she said between wet breaths.

The brunette tried to soothe her lover as she rubbed her back in long, slow strokes. "Too bad." She felt her own voice catch in her throat.

"No." Piper pulled back far enough to stare into Alex's eyes. "You can't do that."

"I _can_ and I _will_." She punctuated her remark with raised eyebrows. "You're all I've got, kid. If I'm not with you, I'd rather be dead."

"Alex!" The blonde swatted at her shoulder. "That's not funny."

"It wasn't meant to be."

"Then why are you smiling?"

"Because it's the first time I've been able to articulate why I'm willing to go through with this."

Piper lifted the dark haired woman's chin with one finger and kissed her softly.

It was then, in an untidy hotel room that smelled like lavender and sex, when Alex realized that the walls she'd built around herself for self-preservation had crumbled—Piper had used a sledgehammer to get to her core and a tiny chisel to discover her heart. Alex felt vulnerable—something she hadn't experienced in her lifetime—but she somehow trusted Piper with her soul and wanted to give herself to the blonde entirely. She couldn't imagine saying, _no_ , to Piper for anything. Will you fly with me to the sun? _Yes_. Will you lasso the moon? _Yes_. Will you spell my name with stars? _Yes_.

Alex smiled bashfully at herself when she realized that there was a name for these feelings. _So, this was love_. She'd recognized the _falling-in-love_ feeling when they'd first met, and she'd told Piper as much months ago, but this was a different thing all together. It wasn't so much the _falling_ as it was the _permanence_ of being in love—like it was a place or a town or a castle in the sky.

She gently placed both hands on the blonde's cheeks, rubbing her soft skin with the pads of her thumbs, as she looked into Piper's eyes, and the words tumbled out like a wave in the sea. "I love you."

The blonde bit her lower lip, and a smile spread across her face. "I love you, too, Alex."

After those words were exchanged, sex was mandatory. They stripped once again and found themselves in the large, disheveled bed, heads near the bottom and feet touching the headboard. Alex thought it was apropos as their worlds were turned upside down.

* * *

"Let's get dressed and go out," Alex said with a kiss on the chin. "I want to show you Vienna."

The women toured the city, hand in hand, but even after their admission of love, Alex could feel the tension radiating off of Piper. She understood why her lover was nervous, but she had a hard time believing that Piper didn't understand the risks of leaving the drug business.

That evening, Alex had plans to take the blonde to an extravagant dinner, but she needed to put in an hour's worth of work prior to the outing. She suggested that Piper enjoy herself at the hotel bar with the novel she'd told the brunette she could hardly put down on the plane ride. Piper seemed to be fine with that plan, as long as Alex made good on her promise that she'd only be away for 60 minutes.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: _This is the only scene in this story where part of it is told from Piper's POV. I couldn't write the story without it_.

* * *

Piper found a small booth next to a window and settled in with her book and a glass of Prosecco. She only had three chapters left to read of _Gone Girl_ , and was riveted by the story.

"Hello, Piper. We meet again."

She looked up to see Fahri hovering over her with his hands on his hips. "You startled me."

He pointed to the empty seat across from her in the booth. "May I?"

She hadn't replied, but Fahri had already taken a seat. "Champagne?" he asked. "Are you celebrating something?"

"It's Prosecco, and no," she replied tersely.

He raised his hand to signal for the waiter, but before the server arrived, he dove in. "You might be curious why I'm here."

She closed her book and tensed up, more than a little intimidated by the villainous man.

"I'm aware of your relationship with Alex Vause, and it's affecting her work." Just then, the waiter appeared. "Cognac, please." He turned back to his companion. "And we think that has everything to do with you."

Piper swallowed hard. "I don't get in the way of Alex's work, and we only meet when she's off."

"Alex is _never_ off," he said with a crooked smile. "She might have some down time every so often, but her job demands her full attention seven days a week, every day of the year."

"You don't own her," the blonde tried.

Fahri laughed as he accepted his drink from the server. "To the contrary, Ms. Chapman."

Just then, another man approached the table. "This must be the incomparable Piper Chapman."

"Indeed, it is." Fahri scooted over, making room for the other man. "Piper, I'd like you to meet my boss, Kubra Balik."

He extended his hand and shook the blonde's. "You're even more beautiful than I imagined. I can see why Alex is drawn to you."

She averted her eyes.

"We have a proposition for you, Ms. Chapman," Kubra began, unbuttoning his suit jacket. "Alex is one of our most valued employees. She brings in upwards of $10 million in revenue for our business per year. As you might imagine, we don't want to lose her."

He looked at Fahri, who picked up from where his boss left off. "We'd like you to travel with us…with _her_. Of course, you'd be well taken care of—from exotic hotels where you'd be pampered, to five star restaurants where you're welcome to order anything you'd like. We'd leave no stone unturned to ensure your comfort and your safety."

"I'm not interested in joining your drug ring," she said with conviction.

"Such hasty rejection," Kubra said to his companion with a tisk. "Perhaps we should look at this from a different angle."

Piper didn't respond. She could feel her pulse pounding in her neck.

Kubra leaned closer. "You can join our team and have an all-expenses paid trip around the world, or you can allow Ms. Vause to continue doing so without you. The power is in your hands, Ms. Chapman."

"I have to go." Piper grabbed her book and stood, but before she could get away, Kubra grabbed her upper arm.

"Consider our generous offer. It's the last one we'll make."

She pulled away and all but ran to her hotel room.

"Get me the fuck out of here," she said breathlessly when she was finally inside the room.

"What's going on?" Alex stood and walked over to the blonde.

"Your fucking goons just cornered me in the bar!" She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "They told me I was interfering with your work and offered me the opportunity to travel with them…with you…around the world on drug business!"

Alex's expression changed dramatically. "Who said that?"

"That guy, Fahri, and some other scary looking man…Cobra, I think."

Alex put on her shoes without so much as tying the laces. "I will handle this, Piper. Please don't leave the room." She ran a hand down the blonde's arm before kissing her on the forehead.

* * *

Alex hadn't seen Kubra in months, and she didn't think there was any reason for him to be in Vienna other than to deliver a message to her lover. She walked at a fast clip down to the hotel bar where she scanned the room for her bosses.

"This ends now," she said sternly as she approached the men at the booth near the back of the bar.

"Alex," Kubra greeted with a heinous smile. "So nice to see you. It's been too long."

She crossed her arms. "I'm done. I quit."

"We know you don't mean that," Fahri said as he pointed to the spot where Piper had sat minutes before. "Please, have a seat."

"You fucking threatened my girlfriend." Alex leaned in. "You looked me in the eye six months ago and told me she was off limits."

He shrugged. "Things changed. You began making errors that cost the cartel millions of dollars. We need you at your finest, and you've not been at your finest in quite some time."

"I'm not interested in this business anymore," she stated firmly. "Consider this my last day in your service."

"You can't simply walk away," Kubra said. "You have too much invested in us, and we have too much invested in you."

"I'll keep my mouth shut as if the past 12 years didn't even happen, but if I find out that you threaten or intend to harm Piper, all bets are off, and I'll squeal to the authorities like a fucking pig. You don't need to pay me for my last two weeks." Before turning and walking away she added, "Don't try to find me; pretend I never existed."

Alex walked briskly to the elevator and pressed the button multiple times with a shaky finger, half expecting a bullet in the back of her head. She couldn't believe what she'd just done—that wasn't part of the plan. The dark haired woman got into the elevator and pursed her lips as she felt her eyes well with angry tears. She shoved two fingers under her eyeglasses to wipe her right eye before exiting on the 11th floor.

"I quit," she announced with a quivering voice.

"What?" Piper stood. "What do you mean?"

"I fucking quit." She sniffled. "They threatened you, and..."

The blonde threw her arms around her lover and rubbed the back of her head.

Alex pulled back and looked in her eyes. "We have to get out of here."

Piper nodded. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know yet, but we can't stay here."

The two women hastily packed their luggage and boarded a cab. Alex instructed the cabbie to take them to the airport, all the while holding on tightly to Piper's hand. She wasn't sure which of them was trembling more. She purchased two tickets to New York, and they'd be gone in two hours.

She escorted Piper into the bathroom and entered the larger handicap stall. "We're going to wait in here until our flight boards."

The blonde creased her brow. "Are they going to come after you?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly.

Piper's chin quivered. "Alex, I'm scared."

"Come here." She pulled the younger woman into a tight embrace and rested her cheek on the top of the blonde's head. "I won't let them hurt you."

Piper cried hard as she grasped a fistful of her lover's shirt in one hand.

They sat in the restroom stall for 20 minutes, Alex trying to be the strong one on the outside, but trembling like a frightened pup on the inside.

"They're probably boarding the plane now." She kissed the top of Piper's head. "We should head out."

"Don't leave my side," the blonde pleaded with heavy, wrung-out eyes. "Not even for a minute."

Alex nodded, kissing her on the lips before shoving the door open.

It wasn't until the flight attendant notified passengers that the boarding door was closed when Alex was able to breathe at a normal rate. The plane taxied down the runway, and Alex could feel her lover's eyes trained on her. For her part, the brunette kept her head down, staring at her own lap and squeezing Piper's hand. Upon takeoff, she let her head hit the back of the seat and a tear escaped under her glasses.

"Alex?" Her voice was thick with worry and exhaustion.

"Hmm?" She wiped the tear away but didn't look at Piper.

"What's next?"

She exhaled slowly and raised her glasses to rest on top of her head. "I don't know, kid." She shrugged. "I won't ask you to stay with me," she said with a self-deprecating chuckle.

"Is that what you're afraid of?" Piper asked, leaning forward and trying to catch the other woman's eye. "That I'm going to leave you?"

"You'd be a fucking fool to stay."

"Then call me a fool." She put a finger on the dark haired woman's chin, turning her head to face her. "I'm not going to leave you, Alex. You did this…You're _doing_ this for me…for _us_."

She let out a sarcastic laugh. "It won't matter if we're both dead."

"You don't get to say things like that." Piper raised her brows. "This isn't a joke."

The brunette shook her head and closed her eyes, willing the pain away. "No, it's not."

"When we land, I think we should go straight to the police."

Alex opened her eyes and jerked her head up. "That's exactly what we're _not_ going to do. Think about the consequences, Piper. I go to the cops, tell them I've been working for an international drug cartel for the past 12 years, and they arrest me on the spot. I don't want to be welcomed back to the US with handcuffs around my wrists."

"Oh, right." The blonde lowered her head. "If we don't rat on them, you're not safe. _We're_ not safe."

"Look," she exhaled loudly, pushing her hair off one shoulder. "I already told you that I have money saved. The first thing I need to do is deplete my bank accounts. Then I'll need a lawyer—a fucking good one. After meeting with him, and if he thinks it's a good idea, I'll go to the police."

"And tell them what?" Piper creased her brows.

She shrugged. "Whatever my lawyer and I agree on." Alex averted her eyes before continuing. "It might involve going into the witness protection program…both of us."

"What?"

"You have no idea how many people work for Kubra— _hundreds_. Many of whom are trained killers." She took the blonde's hand in hers. "If changing our fucking names and leaving the city is what we need to do to stay alive, then that's what needs to happen."

Piper ran a hand through her hair. "I can't believe we're even _discussing_ this!"

"I don't know if that's going to be on the table, Piper, but I don't want to blindside you if it is." She bit down hard on her back teeth, flexing her jaw.

"I can't talk about this anymore," her lover said in a deflated voice. "I want to sleep, and when I wake up, I want this whole thing to have been a bad dream."

She issued a sad smile. "Me, too."


	6. Chapter 6

When they got off the plane at Newark, Alex had a plan, and Piper was either too tired or too beaten to argue. They took a taxi to Jersey City, and the brunette paid the driver cash when they pulled up to the Holiday Inn.

Piper was silent the entire cab ride, and when Alex got a room, she didn't question the older woman. She simply stood near the door and folded her arms. When they arrived at their second floor room, Piper pulled the sheets back, kicked off her shoes, and crawled into bed.

"I'm going to assume that you're not talking to me." Alex unzipped her luggage and pulled out a toiletries kit.

Piper's head was planted face down in the pillow. "Not tonight. I just want to go to sleep and not think about the reason I'm in a fucking hotel room when I'm only 20 miles from home," she said in a muffled voice.

 _Fair enough_ , Alex thought. _Fair enough_.

* * *

Alex awoke the next morning to the sound of rain, pounding on the window. She jerked up, eyes darting around the room and slowly remembered where she was. Piper was still asleep next to her with all of the sheets, covering her slim frame. _No wonder I was cold_. She looked at the bright red numbers on the digital clock: 7:34 a.m. At least she'd slept through the night.

After kissing Piper softly on the side of her head, Alex got up and turned on the shower. It was going to be a long day, week, month and even year ahead.

The water pressure was shit, but the warm stream covered her skin like a sacred ointment. There was nothing sacred about her position in life, which made her huff in frustration before grabbing the thin bar of soap and rubbing it along her chest, stomach and arms.

"Alex?" It was a soft call like the mewl of a kitten.

For a second, the brunette wanted to hear her name whispered like that again, but she was afraid if she didn't answer, Piper would get nervous. The last thing she wanted was to amplify her lover's anxiety.

"In the shower."

She heard the blonde undressing, and a minute later, she joined her under the consistent flow of water.

"Did you sleep?" Alex asked, folding her lover in an indulgent embrace.

She felt the blonde nod against her shoulder. "You?"

"Some," Alex exhaled before taking in a long breath. She positioned Piper under the direct line of water, allowing her prickled skin to relish in the warmth. "We have a lot to discuss today."

"Can we just _be_ right now?" The blonde turned around and skimmed her knuckles down Alex's cheek before settling her hand around her neck. "Would that be alright?"

It was the dark haired woman's turn to nod. She mirrored Piper's hand position and fused their foreheads together.

Piper leaned in, capturing her lover's lips with her own. Every sensation of _kissing Piper_ rushed through her body—happiness, desire, fear, contentment, possessiveness, worry. Some of it was too much, and some of it wasn't enough, so she deepened the kiss, trying to focus on the _good_ of it all. As Alex turned her head to deepen the kiss, she felt Piper's hand snake down her body and enter her folds. She hummed against her lover's mouth and thrusted into the blonde's nimble fingers.

"You feel good," Piper whispered as she traced kisses down Alex's chin and onto her chest.

She could see where the blonde was headed and felt guilty for a moment—like she should be the one going down on Piper as some sort of nonverbal apology for getting her involved in her fucked up life. Yet, she allowed her lover to get on her knees and lick her. Piper could make her cum extremely fast, and this time was no different. She shouted her name and didn't care if a battalion of people could hear. In fact, she hoped they did so that they realized Piper was _hers_.

Piper stood and wasted no time capturing Alex's tongue in her mouth.

"What was that for?" She breathed out between kisses, having to rest more of her body weight on her lover than she wanted.

Piper looked into her eyes. "We're going to have to make some difficult decisions, and I wanted you to know how I feel about you."

Alex mustered the best smile she could. "Show don't tell?"

The blonde bit her lower lip. "Something like that."

"Thank you," came out as a whisper before kissing Piper for all she was worth.

* * *

The couple spent the day in the hotel room, scouring the Internet to find law firms that dealt with drug violations and extradition. They made phone calls, arranged appointments and called their banks. Alex instructed Piper to call her family and closest friends to let them know _some of the details_ of what had transpired. The dark haired woman didn't put it past Kubra to contact Piper's family and friends for information, and they needed to know that under no circumstances should they reveal her whereabouts.

It wasn't a surprise to Alex that her lover was frightened—hell, she was scared, too. Scared of being killed, of going to prison, of losing her identity, of Piper leaving her. She couldn't show her fear, and she tried to keep her anger for the leaders of the drug cartel out of their eight hour research session.

Alex never turned on her mobile phone once they landed in Newark—she knew that phones could be traced and didn't want to take the risk that someone was trying to track her down. She allowed Piper to use her own cell to call her family and friends, but all of the other calls they made were using the hotel's land line.

"I need to get to a Bank of America branch before the end of the day." She'd already talked to the bank, informing them of her need to withdraw her account.

"How much money do you have?" Piper opened her wallet to count her cash. "I have $172 on me."

"A few thousand in the bank," she replied, looking into her own wallet. "And about $300 in here." She put on her jacket, scooping her long hair out from under the collar. "I have a lot more in an offshore account, but it won't be wired to me for a couple of days."

"Does Fahri or Kubra know how much you have? Or anything about your bank accounts?"

She shook her head. "They watched me spend money frivolously over the years and probably don't think I have much saved. Besides, it's not about the money for them."

"It's about your life," Piper said in a thick, knowing voice.

"I'm sure they've already trashed my apartment." She tried to act nonchalant. "Nothing worth much there anyway, besides the art."

The blonde stood. "I'm coming with you."

"No." Alex put a hand on her arm. "I need you to stay here and do some more research on what the fuck could happen if we tell the DEA about the cartel. We need to know every possible scenario before we meet with the attorneys. The last thing we need is to be blindsided by some obscure law that will send me to prison for 20 fucking years."

She could sense the hesitation in Piper's nod.

"I'll be gone for an hour max." Alex kissed the top of her head and ran her hands down the blonde's arms, linking their fingers when she got to her hands. "I'll pick up some food on the way back. Just stay in the room, babe. You'll be fine."

Alex ran her errands as promised, pocketed $3,400 cash and had the taxi pull into Little Caesar's to pick up a veggie delight pizza on the way back to the hotel.

A hundred thoughts ran through her head on the ride back, and one thought that kept popping up was _just fucking running away_. They could move to Albuquerque or Sacramento or some other city 2,000 miles away and start a new life. Fuck going through the legal system—they could make it on their own.

But she knew that wasn't sensible. And Piper would never go for it.

* * *

Author's Note: Short but necessary chapter. I might post another later today to make up for it.


	7. Chapter 7

After meeting with three lawyers, (one arrogant, one ancient, one with narcolepsy) the dark haired woman was about to give up and tell Piper about her idea to get on the next flight to God-knows-where and start their new lives. They waited for the final attorney to show up on the 20th floor of a 21-story building that looked like it was made of glass and mirrors. She was running late, and both women were losing patience.

The mahogany door opened, and a petite redhead smiled at them. "Right this way."

Moments later, they were greeted by a tall African-American woman who looked like a young Diana Ross. In fact, she didn't look much older than Piper.

"I'm Daphne Pierce." She shook both women's hands. "Please, have a seat."

Piper and Alex exchanged glances, and Alex thought the entire day was panning out to be a colossal waste of time.

"We don't want to take too much of your time," the brunette began. "Here's the situation."

They'd already signed five forms, being offered complete confidentiality once the story was told. Now it was a matter of condensing 12 years of drug trafficking and the last 48 hours of fear into a 10 minute speech.

Daphne listened to Alex tell her tale without interruption, but as soon as the brunette was finished, she chimed in. "I have two questions. First, what's your biggest fear if we pursue your case?"

"That Kubra will send his henchmen to harm Piper and me." Alex looked at her lover before proceeding. "And that I could go to prison for my role in the cartel."

The attorney jotted something down on her notepad. "Second question: what would you deem the best outcome for the two of you?"

Again, the dark haired woman regarded Piper. The blonde took Alex's hand in hers. "That Kubra, Fahri and their assailants would be put away for a long fucking time."

Daphne inhaled deeply and leaned forward, splaying both hands on her desk. "I want this case."

It was the first time Alex smiled in two days. "Then let's get started."

* * *

In three days, Alex had a legitimate game plan established with Daphne Pierce. She was tired of staying in a Jersey hotel, but her lawyer advised her that remaining off the grid was the best decision until they could set the wheels in motion. Daphne told the brunette that switching hotels every few days would be a smart idea as well, and not that Alex needed to be told this, but the attorney advised her to only use cash for _any_ purchases.

She bought a disposable cell phone (which, she explained to Piper, was referred to as a _burn phone_ in her industry) and advised Piper to consider changing her number. The blonde did as she was told, but informed Alex that she needed to go to New York to talk to Polly and her family.

"Letting you out of my sight makes me incredibly nervous," Alex admitted as she got dressed that morning.

"I _have_ to talk to my family," she insisted. "They're probably worried sick about me, and I don't want to say anything incriminating over the phone. I've heard stories about calls being recorded, and I don't want to put us in that position."

Alex sighed. "Fine, but if you're not back here by 4 o'clock, I'm going to come find you, and that won't end well for either of us."

Piper picked up her purse. "Isn't there a chance that Kubra and Fahri decided to just let you go? I mean, couldn't they continue to make millions of dollars without you?"

The brunette shrugged. "Yeah, I guess, but it isn't _just_ about the money, remember?"

"This is exhausting." She sighed.

Alex lifted the blonde's hand to her chest. "Daphne came up with a good plan, and if it all pans out, this whole chapter of our lives will be over in a couple of weeks."

"And if it doesn't?" Piper raised her brows.

"Then we'll move on to Plan B." She shrugged again.

* * *

The dark haired woman's anxiety began creeping up at about 3 o'clock, when Piper was still away and presumably meeting with her family. Alex had had a productive day with Daphne and her team, and the next day would be even bigger when she and her attorney planned to meet with the DEA.

By 4 p.m. there was still no sign of Piper, so Alex texted her from her burn phone. She waited ten minutes, but there was no response, so the brunette called her girlfriend's mobile phone and got voicemail. She didn't leave a message, something she and Piper had decided together, for fear of Piper's phone being tracked.

It wasn't that the brunette wanted to keep tabs on her girlfriend; she was justifiably concerned for her safety. Alex recalled a time three years ago when one of her friends in the cartel found her boyfriend dead in an alley in Mumbai after she'd heard Fahri and Kubra talking about what a nuisance he was. Alex had confronted Kubra about the incident, and the villainous man denied having anything to do with what he'd called a "freak accident."

Alex hadn't shared that story with Piper—it would have set off an alarm in the blonde's head—and she probably would have run far away without looking back. Now, the brunette wondered if she _should have_ told Piper about Jasmine's boyfriend; at least that story would have hit home.

She paced in the small hotel room, constantly checking her watch and her phone, as a million thoughts and questions raced through her head. Was she being selfish by wanting Piper in her life? Or did Alex want her nearby so that she could offer more protection? On the one hand, two minds were better than one, Alex figured, and both women could protect each other. On the other, it _was_ selfish to involve Piper any more than she already had. Alex knew the path that this could take, and it was going to be rocky. She _did_ want Piper by her side for moral and physical support, but was that fair to the younger woman?

She plopped on the bed, head in her hands as she contemplated the answer to that question. _No_ , she thought, it wasn't fair at all.

Just before she'd made the decision to take the train into Manhattan, Piper barreled in.

"Sorry I'm late," she huffed.

"What the _fuck_ , Piper?" the brunette yelled. "I thought I made it clear that you needed to be back here by 4 o'clock; otherwise, I was coming to find you?"

The blonde pulled her head back as if she was shocked by Alex's fury. "It's 4:20, Alex. It's not like I'm an hour late."

"Twenty minutes is an eternity with everything going on!" She ran a hand roughly through her hair. "Don't you get that?"

"No, I don't," Piper snapped. "I was on a hot, crowded train, my phone died, and I'm paranoid as all hell, so you don't get to be pissed at me for being _20 fucking minutes late_!"

"The hell I don't!" The brunette tossed her glasses onto the desk and rubbed her eyes. "We can't keep this up."

"You're right, we can't!" She shouted. "I just had to sit across from my parents and tell them that I'm scared for my life because my _girlfriend_ , who they had no idea even _existed_ , spent the last 12 years working for a drug cartel and is now fearful for her life and subsequently, mine!"

Alex turned around and put both hands on the edge of the desk as she tried to concentrate on bringing her heartrate down. She closed her eyes and could only imagine the worst—Piper being grabbed from behind, a black bag shoved over her head; Piper being tied up and left to die in an abandoned warehouse; Piper being gagged and whipped until she told her captors Alex's location.

Alex wouldn't be able to live with herself if anything happened to the woman she loved, and now that her family knew, matters were made even worse.

"We have to end this," she said in a hushed tone before turning around to face her lover. "Daphne's going to need your testimony, and if this goes to trial, you'll probably be subpoenaed, but you and I shouldn't be…" She looked at her feet. "We shouldn't be together while things are so volatile."

The blonde shook her head. "Don't do this, Alex."

"It's the only way." She looked up with tired, frightened eyes. "Your family is worried for your safety, and they have every right to be. They hate me, and that's not going to change for the foreseeable future."

"They don't hate you," she tried in a thick voice.

"Bullshit." She sat on the bed and ran her hands over her face. "I put you in this crazy, fucked up position, and I'm sorry for that." Alex looked up at her girlfriend. "I really am."

"This isn't what I want." Piper took two steps forward. "I want to be with you, Alex."

"I want that, too." She took the blonde's hand. "But we can't right now, babe."

Piper blinked, and a tear rolled down her cheek. "So where does that leave us?"

"Really sad?" She stood and hugged her lover.

"Incredibly sad."

Alex felt a wet spot on her thin shirt from Piper's tears. She pulled back and kissed the blonde on the forehead. "I want you to stay here tonight. I'm going to get a room at the Best Western down the street."

"Alex, I…"

"No." She held up her hand. "This is non-negotiable. Tomorrow, you'll take the 7:10 train, and you'll go back to New York to stay with Polly. I'll let Daphne know what's going on, and I'm sure she'll be in touch soon."

Piper's tears ran down her face as if one was racing another. "I don't want you to leave."

"It's only temporary." She threw her clothes and toiletries into her suitcase, trying to focus on anything other than the woman she loved, bawling in the center of the room. "We'll figure everything out as soon as this fucked up chapter of my life is over."

"Alex…" Her name sounded like fear and uncertainty and pain and exhaustion.

She knew that if she didn't leave the hotel room in the next five minutes, she'd make a selfish decision and stay with Piper to see this thing through. She wouldn't do that to her; not this time.

"Please, don't cry." The brunette wiped her girlfriend's face with her fingertips. "I'll be in touch soon. Take care of yourself, babe."

With that, she walked out of the room, keeping her tears in check until she stepped inside the elevator. Once the doors shut, she banged her fist against the wall and cried as if some part of her had just died. Thirty seconds later, the elevator opened and she paused a moment to get herself together. She walked out of the lobby and under the portico to hail a cab.

It was the hardest thing she'd ever done in her life.


	8. Chapter 8

If Alex had slept more than two hours that night, she'd be surprised. Nevertheless, the day of reckoning was before her, and she needed to be at the law firm by 8:30 that morning. As she stepped out of the shower, she noticed that she had two missed calls from Piper, but the blonde hadn't left a message. On the one hand, Alex thought, Piper was probably calling to beg her to reconsider. On the other, she might've been calling to simply say goodbye. But what if she was calling because Fahri's men had found her? What if she was in danger?

No matter how much the brunette tried to focus on her meeting with the DEA that morning, she couldn't quiet her mind. She quickly got dressed, not even blow drying her hair, and left the hotel in a frantic rush. She hailed a cab and gave the driver instructions to take her to the train station as fast as he could.

During the 10 minute ride, Alex didn't know if she was doing the right thing—if she was sending Piper a mixed-message. As the cab pulled up to the station, the brunette decided that she didn't care what message it sent. She needed to see Piper with her own eyes not only to make sure that she was alive, but also to see that she boarded the train to Manhattan and got far away from the shit storm that was about to happen.

"Piper!" she called with a raised hand. "Piper, wait!"

She heard a voice on the intercom announce boarding for Grand Central Station.

The blonde craned her neck. "Alex?"

The dark haired woman full-on sprinted to her lover, and for the briefest of moments, was reminded of the last time she'd run to catch up with Piper when they were in Prague. That time, too, Piper had left, but under much different circumstances. It was that day when Alex swore to herself she'd never lie to Piper again.

"What are you doing here?" Piper asked in a muffled voice as Alex held her head firmly against her shoulder.

"I needed to make sure you were ok," she admitted, holding on to the blonde for dear life. "I missed your calls this morning, and I…I…" she couldn't finish the sentence.

Piper pulled back and wiped Alex's black hair out of her face. "I'm ok."

Alex nodded and closed her eyes before leaning her forehead against the blonde's. "I don't want you to miss the train. The sooner you get out of here, the better."

"I'll see you soon." Piper said those words like a promise, punctuating the sentence with a firm kiss, hands splayed on both sides of Alex's face.

Alex could sense that her own face was twisted and pinched as she tried _desperately_ to keep her tears at bay. She couldn't speak for fear that words would tumble out wet and needy, so she just nodded and gently pushed her lover away.

Piper walked backwards, eyes focused on Alex, until she bumped into someone and was forced to turn around to board the train. Their eyes met through the window, and Alex watched her lover raise her hand in a miserable little wave. The brunette covered her heart with both hands as the trained pulled away.

Alex was thankful for the brick column behind her that kept her from crumbling to the ground. She cried harder in that moment than she'd ever remembered crying before, not just at the loss of Piper, but at the uncertainty of what would happen next.

* * *

The dark haired woman was five minutes late for her meeting with her attorney and the DEA, but she swore if they commented on her tardiness, she would let them have it. Alex was in no mood to be chastised.

"Good morning," Daphne greeted her with a _you're-lucky-you made-it_ expression. "These are agents Nelson and Huff. They'll be questioning you this morning."

Alex pushed her glasses up higher on her nose before shaking each man's hand.

They went through the preliminary questioning in less than 10 minutes, but the harder questions about Alex's involvement in the drug ring were just beginning to surface like a storm coming ashore. Daphne had advised the brunette to answer each question honestly, giving the agents no more than what they asked. Alex did her best to follow those instructions, but she knew that she was incriminating herself.

"Was there ever a time when you felt like your life was in danger?" Agent Huff asked.

"The last six months, when I began making intentional mistakes to try to get out of the cartel," she began. "I felt more and more in danger. And now I'm scared for my life every minute of the day."

"Why did you want out of the cartel?" Agent Nelson scratched his chin.

She looked at her lap, and then back up at him. "I promised a woman I was seeing that I'd leave the drug business, because that's what she wanted."

"You didn't want that for yourself?"

She shrugged. "I loved the money, but I recognized that it was wrong, so eventually I wanted out for my own reasons."

"But it was this other woman who convinced you to do it sooner rather than later?" Agent Nelson asked.

"Yeah." She felt her voice quiver as she pictured Piper in her mind—all sunshine and smiles.

"Is that Ms. Chapman?" Agent Nelson looked at his notepad. "Piper Chapman?"

"Yes."

The two agents looked at each other, and then Huff directed his attention to Daphne. "When will we be able to speak with Ms. Chapman?"

"She's not involved in this in any way," Alex quickly interjected.

"I'm sure I can have her here within 24 hours," Daphne replied. She looked at Alex with a pained expression, leaving the brunette fearful of the consequences.

The agents continued asking a string of questions over the next hour, and Alex had to pause several times for a sip of water. She felt as if a part of her was there in that room and another part of her was searching for Piper. It was difficult to concentrate on the interrogation when she was so fucking worried about her lover.

"Do you have any idea when Fahri and Mr. Balik will be in the US?" Agent Huff asked.

This was the question Daphne had hoped the agents would ask, and Alex didn't hesitate before providing an answer.

"Kubra has a house in Miami, and for the last ten years or so, he's had a huge Fourth of July party," the brunette stated. "There's probably been 75 to 100 members of the cartel at the house, including Fahri. I would suspect the same would be true this year. Kubra loves to party and show off his mansion."

"Good," he replied. "That's good."

As the interrogation wrapped up, Daphne presented their case. "My client has answered your questions fully and honestly, and as you heard, she is fearful for her life as well as the life of Ms. Chapman. We ask that she be placed in protective custody as she cooperates with the DEA to bring down Mr. Balik and his cartel."

"Unfortunately, the only protective custody that we're able to provide Ms. Vause is prison." Agent Nelson clicked his pen, and then shoved it into his shirt pocket.

"No," Alex said. "Please, I can continue staying in hotels until you catch them. I'll move around every couple of days, and…"

"I'm really sorry, but you're a criminal," Agent Huff interrupted with a sincerely apologetic expression.

"I'd like you to reconsider and instead, place Ms. Vause into a Safe House," Daphne offered.

"No way in hell my boss will go for that," Nelson responded with a slight chuckle. "Your client just confessed to working for an international drug cartel for the past 12 years; we have to lock her up. She'll get a fair trial and all that."

Alex looked up at Daphne with terrified eyes. "Please, Daphne, don't let them take me away."

"I'm going to need to arrange a meeting with your boss," she told them.

"Here's his card." Huff flung the business card onto her desk. "Ms. Vause, I know going to prison isn't something you want, but you'll be safer in there than out on the streets. I'm sure your attorney can work something out with the powers that be to arrange your release once the drug bosses are caught."

Daphne focused her eyes on Alex. "She will cooperate fully, and we'll have her out in no time."

"So that's it?" She asked in a shaky voice. "I'm going to _prison_?"

"I will work my hardest to get you out quickly, Alex." Daphne placed a hand on her arm. "We knew this was a possibility."

"This can't be happening." An unexpected tear rolled down the brunette's face. "Daphne, _do something_!"

"I will do everything in my power to help you."

"You need to call Piper," she begged with a thick voice. "Call her now; tell her everything will be all right. _Please_ , Daphne."

"I will call her the second you leave," she promised. "Don't worry. I will get you out of this, and Piper will be fine."

One of the agents, Alex couldn't be sure which one, read her the Miranda rights as the other grabbed her upper arm and escorted her out of the building. They didn't cuff her, but she felt suffocated. It was difficult for her to breathe as the men rode down the elevator with her, and then shoved her into an unmarked black sedan.

She creased her brow with fear. "What's going to happen to my gir…to Piper?"

"Did she do anything to aid the drug operation?"

They'd asked that question an hour ago, and Alex had given the same response. "No!"

"Then probably nothing." Agent Nelson popped a stick of gum into his mouth. "We'll question her as soon as possible."

"Where are you taking me?"

No answer.

"I have a right to know where I'm going!" she yelled.

Nelson closed the partition, leaving Alex scared and alone.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: There are 11 chapters in this story. Thanks for reading and for the reviews.

* * *

The DEA agents took Alex to Litchfield Penitentiary, where she spent three hours in holding before being processed and issued an inmate badge. She'd had less than two hours of sleep the night before, and the exhaustion and fear that washed over her was too much to bear.

Once she and six other inmates were processed at Litchfield, Alex asked if she could make a call. Officer Bell laughed at the request, telling her she needed money in an account to make that happen.

"It's not like you see in the movies," Bell explained, chomping on her gum. "You get one free call a week, and you can put potential visitor names on a list. That list will then be checked and processed, so you're looking at about two weeks before anyone can visit."

"Two weeks? What about my attorney?" Alex accepted the orange jumpsuit.

"Attorneys work differently," Bell replied. "Your counselor will explain all that to you later. Next?"

Alex couldn't believe the events that had transpired over the last 24 hours. She was in a hazy fog, but exhaustion had taken over and she didn't have the energy to try to figure anything out. Sleep. She needed sleep.

* * *

A week passed with no contact with the outside world. Alex felt utterly helpless and couldn't even put money into her prison account, because she couldn't even fucking ask someone to make a wire transfer.

Finally, Daphne showed up to meet with her client, and Alex was furious at the turn of events.

"This wasn't supposed to happen!" she shouted. "Where the fuck have you been?"

"Calm down," Daphne said. "I am working night and day to get you out of here."

"Well, work harder! This place is a disgusting shit hole!"

Daphne lowered her head.

"How is Piper? Did you talk to her? Where is she?" Concern was etched on the brunette's face.

"Piper is fine. She met with the DEA the morning after your meeting, and they let her go. She's living with her friend, Polly, and an agent is assigned to watch over her."

Alex let out a sigh of relief. "She won't be charged with anything?"

"No, she had nothing to do with the drug ring," she stated. "Alex, we need to concentrate on _you_."

The news about Piper set Alex at ease, so she was prepared to listen to her attorney's plan.

"The DEA has already made two arrests connected to the cartel, because of your tips," Daphne said. "But the big bust is still a month away; that is, if Kubra Balik has the event at his house like you explained."

"If Fahri and Kubra know that I tipped off the cops, they won't come back to the US," the brunette said with mild irritation.

The lawyer held up her hand. "As far as I know, Kubra and Fahri haven't been tipped off. The DEA agents are professionals, and I'm confident they'll handle the entire matter discreetly."

"Are they keeping me in here until they catch them?"

Daphne sighed. "It appears that way."

"Fuck!" She ran her hand through her hair. "I can't stay in this hell hole for years."

"It's not going to be years, Alex," she explained. "I met with the acting administrator of the DEA, and we settled on a deal—if they arrest Balik and several other key members of the cartel, you'll be released and more than likely, under house arrest for six months."

"I can live with that, as long as it happens fast." Alex looked down. "I need you to put money in my account. I can't even make a fucking phone call. Also, tell Piper that I added her name to the visitation list, and she should be able to come see me in like a week."

"Will do." Daphne stood. "I'll be back to see you next Thursday if there's an update. If not, it'll probably be another couple of weeks. I promise to keep you abreast of any new information. The DEA might be back to ask you a few more questions as they hone in on Balik. Make yourself available, Alex."

"It's not like I have much choice," she replied tersely.

"Take care, and see you soon." With that, the attorney left and a guard escorted Alex out of the small room.

* * *

Alex had gotten a prison job in the laundry room, which, she thought, was a shitty assignment, but she kept her head down and focused on her tasks. A few inmates tried to strike up conversations with her at work or in the cafeteria, but Alex's one-word responses were not welcoming to others, and rarely did the same woman try to converse with her more than once.

Alex's mind was singularly focused on Piper. She worried about her night and day and wouldn't be satisfied with Daphne's report of Piper being 'fine' until she saw the blonde with her own eyes.

"Inmate Vause, you have a visitor," Officer Bennett stated.

Alex sat up in her bunk. "Me?"

He looked at a notepad. "Your name is Vause, isn't it?"

She nodded and climbed off the top bunk, and then followed Bennett down the long corridor to the visitation room. As she walked down the hallway with a glass partition, she saw Piper standing near a table. Her heart raced as a small smile surfaced.

"Alex!" The blonde took three giant steps into her arms.

She hugged the blonde tightly, pulling her head closer with one hand. "Are you ok?"

"Yes." Piper pulled back and eyed her up and down. "Look at you. I…"

"Orange is the new black," Alex quipped.

"It's hard for me to see you like this." Piper's voice faltered.

"Hopefully it won't be for too long." She sat down, and the blonde sat across from her. Alex immediately reached for Piper's hand. "Has anyone suspicious tried contacting you? Are you still scared?"

"Of course, I'm still scared." She wiped a tear away with her free hand. "But I'm more worried about you."

"I'm probably safer in here than you are out there," the brunette admitted, grabbing both of Piper's hands. "I worry about you."

"There are two officers assigned to me, so they're protecting me as best as they can, I guess," the blonde offered. "Someone keeps calling my phone and hanging up, but they can't figure out the number."

"What?" Alex tensed. "Did you tell the police?"

"Yeah, I did. They put a tap on my line, so they don't want me to switch numbers or anything." She squeezed Alex's hands. "But the caller isn't on the line for more than 10 seconds."

Alex rested her back against the hard plastic chair and shook her head. "It's Kubra; I know it. He's fucking with you to try to get to me."

"I'm being careful, Alex," she tried. "I don't leave Polly's apartment at night, and I let the officers know where I'm going at all times during the day."

The brunette lowered her head. "This is so fucked up."

"I'm so, _so_ sorry. I'm the one who put you here," Piper admitted in a sad whisper.

"No, you didn't." She looked up at Piper with a serious expression and leaned forward. "If I would've stayed in the drug ring, something was bound to happen, and I'd probably go to prison for countless years, but because of you, I'll be out as soon as they catch Kubra and Fahri."

"That could be years from now." She sniffed.

"It won't be," Alex said with confidence. "I'm hoping this whole thing will be over in a couple of weeks."

"When you get out, Alex, I want us to be together," the blonde said with raised eyebrows. "I don't care if you don't have a job or if we have to move to bum fucking Egypt, I just want to be with you."

The brunette issued a small smile, trying not to get her hopes up too high. "I want that too, babe."

"I miss you so much." Piper's voice hitched and her chin wrinkled.

Her admission rendered a stream of tears, and Alex reached out to wipe them away. "I miss you, too, and I'm really sorry."

Piper held Alex's hand against her cheek for a moment before they were yelled at by one of the guards.

"Visitation is over, ladies. Say your goodbyes and proceed through these doors," another officer announced.

"That's it?" Piper asked. "That was like 15 minutes."

Alex stood and wrapped her in her arms, kissing her neck several times. "Daphne should have put some money in my account, so I'll call you as soon as I can."

She felt Piper nod against her shoulder. "Be safe out there, Pipes, and don't take any chances."

The blonde wiped her own tears away. "I love you, Alex."

"Love you, too," she whispered with a shaky voice. Alex waved as she walked backwards through the visitation room.

Once she was back in custody, she punched the wall.

"Inmate! That's a shot!"

"It gets easier with time," another inmate whispered to her.

"Saying goodbye to her will never be easy," she replied under her breath.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: Some of you have asked why Alex didn't demand immunity in this story. Here are three reasons: 1. Author's choice – From a plot perspective, Alex needed to go to prison. 2. Alex's head is not in the game. Her focus on Piper has impaired her judgement, and despite Alex's thoughts about being selfish, she's actually quite the opposite. 3. Daphne Pierce, her attorney, is young and inexperienced.

I hope this helps you wrap your head around Alex's stint in prison.

* * *

Independence Day came and went, and Alex heard nothing about a drug raid in Miami. Piper had visited twice in the past two weeks, and unlike what one inmate had told her—that it would get easier—Alex experienced the opposite.

Although she and Piper hadn't said the words, _we're back together_ , all signs pointed to that being true. Well, as together as they could be while she was behind bars. Truth be told, they were never truly broken up—Alex's attempt at separating had fallen flat, and she didn't really care if that could be seen as selfish on her part. All she knew was that she wanted— _needed_ —Piper in her life, and the feelings appeared to be mutual.

Alex had just finished eating a half-rotten banana for breakfast one mid-July morning when she was approached by Officer Fischer. "Vause, come with me."

She furrowed her brow. "Where are we going?"

Fischer didn't reply; she walked at a normal pace a step ahead of Alex, down two hallways and finally, into the same room she remembered meeting her lawyer in three weeks ago. Fischer closed the door, and Alex saw Daphne and immediately recognized the man sitting next to her as one of the DEA agents who questioned her almost a month ago.

"Good morning, Alex" Daphne said. "Please, have a seat."

"What's going on here?" She could feel her pulse quicken.

"We have some good news, Ms. Vause," Agent Huff said. "On July 4, the DEA raided Mr. Kubra Balik's Miami home and arrested him along with 26 other people involved in an international drug ring."

Alex's eyes shot open. "Seriously?"

"Your information proved valuable. Without it, we probably wouldn't have caught up to Mr. Balik for several years," he stated. "He was an elusive bastard."

She looked at Daphne. "Does this mean I can get out?"

The attorney smiled. "Yes, it does, but there are a few details that Agent Huff needs to review with you."

Alex closed her eyes and drew her lips in as she concentrated on what that meant—she'd soon be a free woman—free to be with Piper and start a drug-free life together.

"Your attorney and the acting administrator for the DEA have come up with a couple of options, and I'm here to present those to you."

She opened her eyes and focused on the DEA agent. "I'm listening."

"Option one is house arrest for eight months. You'd wear an ankle monitor and check in with a probation officer once a week for the duration of the arrest," Agent Huff said. "You would not be allowed to leave the state. Any violation of the rules would land you back in prison right away."

"Ok…" Alex trailed. "What's the other option?"

"You work for us—for the DEA as a confidential informant."

Alex half-laughed. "You want me to be a narc?"

"Hear him out," Daphne stated.

"The most common commodity used to pay government informants is freedom, which is, in most cases, more valuable than money," Huff stated. "But if you prove to be a skilled entrapper, you'll be paid. The amount is dependent upon the profile of the criminal."

Alex hadn't thought of this as a possibility, and as ludicrous as it sounded, it would be her ticket out of prison, plus she wouldn't be under house arrest and would have a chance to earn a legitimate income.

"What are your thoughts on this?" She asked Daphne.

"Being an informant can be lucrative, but there is the potential of your life being in danger," the attorney replied.

Alex took a deep breath and pushed her glasses on the top of her head. "What kind of information would you be looking for? I mean, are we talking about low-level drug deals or high stakes, international busts?"

Agent Huff shrugged. "I don't have that information."

She leaned forward. "Don't you think I need it before making a decision?"

Daphne turned to the DEA agent. "We'll need a write-up of the job description before proceeding."

"I'll do my best," Huff said. "But that just keeps you in here longer."

She faced Daphne again. "I need to talk to Piper before making a decision."

"Ms. Vause, this is a _confidential_ position. If you were married, you could tell your spouse, but you can't tell your…partner…or whatever Ms. Chapman is to you," Agent Huff said.

"Then there's no deal," she stated firmly, crossing her arms.

"Alex…" the attorney tried.

"I put Piper's life in danger on more than one occasion," she replied. "There's no way I wouldn't tell her about this. _No fucking way_."

Agent Huff stood and rubbed his goatee. "I'll let my boss know and get back with your attorney about which direction he wants to take."

"Fine." Alex stood. "Please let Piper know that I need to see her."

Daphne shook her head. "I'm not going to do that yet. Let's wait to see what the DEA has to say before you blow your chance at freedom."

What the brunette didn't inform her attorney is that Piper was scheduled to visit her at Litchfield the next day. There was no way she'd lie to Piper—she'd made that promise nearly a year ago and intended to keep it.

* * *

Alex paced in her cell impatiently as she waited for her name to be called, announcing she had a visitor. Piper was never late, but visitation had already begun and there was no sign of the blonde. She walked towards the visitation room and looked through the windows, scanning the crowded room. As one visitor left, she opened the door and Alex saw Piper standing in a line. This was the first time she'd ever seen a line form for visitation, and she wondered for a moment if there was something going on that she didn't know about.

The brunette lifted her hand to the window and mouthed Piper's name more out of instinct than any sort of calling. The guard ushered the blonde into the room, and Alex bolted down the hallway to meet her.

She hugged the blonde tightly. "Hey, babe."

She heard a muffled, _hey_ , as Piper squeezed her just as hard and buried her face against Alex's chest. Piper pulled back but didn't let her girlfriend go. "What's going on in here?"

She pushed her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose. "I have no idea."

The women sat down across from each other, and Alex dove right in. "There's something we need to discuss, and I want to do it quickly in case the prison assholes call _time_ before it's really up."

"Ok, what is it?" Worry was etched on the younger woman's face.

"I met with Daphne and one of the DEA agents yesterday," she began. "They caught Kubra, Fahri and a shitload of other people in the cartel."

"Really? Alex, that's great news. Was it because of your tip?" She reached out to hold Alex's hands.

She nodded. "The agent gave me a choice: house arrest for eight months or becoming a confidential informant for the DEA." She waited for Piper's reaction.

The blonde jutted her head back and appeared speechless for a moment. "I didn't expect that."

"Neither did I," she replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "They told me that I couldn't tell anyone unless I had a spouse, and I said no deal. Daphne is going to see if she can get some sort of job description and permission for me to share this news with you."

"But they told you not to tell me?" The blonde questioned.

Alex nodded. "Yeah, but there was no fucking way I wouldn't tell you something like this."

"Thank you." She squeezed her lover's hand. "What does this mean for you? What would that even look like?"

"I don't know much." She shrugged. "I just know it would be undercover work, and if I was effective at the job, I'd get paid pretty fucking well."

"It sounds dangerous," Piper admitted with a frown.

"It could be, but it could also be lucrative," Alex tried. She placed her glasses on top of her head. "Plus, I'd be working for the good guys. A big fucking turnaround from working for the likes of Fahri and Kubra."

"I don't know, Alex…"

She leaned closer. "I'm not making a decision right now—not until I see the job description and know that the DEA would be ok with me informing you."

"And if that doesn't happen?"

"Then I'll take the house arrest." She let out a long breath. "But then I'm back to square one with no job and now a felony charge on my record."

Piper looked at their joined hands, rubbing her fingertips over the back of Alex's hand. "It's your life, Alex, do what you want."

Alex frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know." The blonde looked up at her with weary eyes. "It just feels like you have your life, and I have mine. Not once have our worlds meshed naturally. I feel like we both want different things." Alex could see tears forming in her eyes. "Maybe we're just not meant to be together."

The brunette blinked rapidly. "Is that what you think? That the universe is somehow…conspiring against us?"

She shrugged.

"Piper, I want to be with you." She grabbed the blonde's hand again and looked her square in the eyes. "That's my top priority. If you don't want me to take the DEA thing, I won't."

"It's not that simple…"

"Yes, it is." She punctuated her statement with raised eyebrows. "Fuck the practicality of having a job—I'd rather be poor and in love than rich and miserable."

"Do you really mean that?" Piper wiped her eyes.

" _Yes_ ," she emphasized with the squeeze of her hand. "I'll be damned if I lose you again."

A small smile crossed Piper's face. "I don't want to lose you, either."

"Good." Alex smiled softly.

"Inmates, visitation is over! Say your goodbyes. You have one minute," one of the guards announced.

They stood, hugged, kissed on the lips for the first time in what felt like ages, and then Piper walked out. She waved at Alex before walking through the swinging doors.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: With the help of my beta, grandmasbackyard, I tweaked the end of this story, and now there is another chapter and a brief epilogue.

* * *

Two days later, Daphne returned to Litchfield along with Agent Huff. The acting administrator from the DEA had informed Alex's attorney that under no circumstances was Alex allowed to reveal her undercover work to Piper or to anyone else for that matter.

"Then there's no deal." She shrugged and looked at Daphne. "I'll take the house arrest."

"Are you positive this is the direction in which you want to proceed?" her attorney asked.

Alex nodded. "Yes."

Agent Huff explained the rules of house arrest to the dark haired woman, and Alex nodded her understanding. She had no plans to leave the state or the country anyway, so the situation wouldn't be all that bad. What she _was_ concerned about was the felony charge on her record, which would make it difficult to get a decent, well-paying job. After all, she'd had a job since high school, and not getting a paycheck wasn't an option.

* * *

Hours later, Alex was a free woman. The ankle monitor was a bulky annoyance, but it was a small price to pay for the crimes she'd committed, and she was thankful that things had worked out as they had. There was a part of her that would miss the thrill and responsibility of working for the cartel, and Alex thought the void could have been filled by working undercover for the DEA. Nevertheless, she refused to put Piper's life in danger ever again.

"Hey, babe," Alex announced as she approached her lover in the Litchfield parking lot. "I'm out."

Piper wasted no time hugging her girlfriend and kissing whatever visible skin she could reach. " _Alex_."

Take me home." She pulled back and captured Piper's face with her hands, kissing her gently. "Wherever the hell that might be."

The blonde gave her a somewhat embarrassing smile. "For now, it's still Polly's apartment."

"I don't care if it's a fucking dumpster behind the grocery store, as long as I'm with you." She kissed her again, this time with more passion.

Piper nodded. "Let's just drive far away from this place."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Alex realized about an hour into the drive back to Manhattan that she was holding onto Piper's hand so tightly that the blonde's hand was throbbing. "Fuck, sorry about that."

Piper flexed her hand. "It actually felt good to hold onto you so tightly."

The dark haired woman leaned over and kissed Piper on the cheek, then rubbed the smudge with her thumb. "You're beautiful, you know that?"

"Alex," she chastised her lover, waving a hand in front of her in a shooing motion.

"Seriously, I mean it." Alex's expression turned somber. "I missed seeing you every day."

Piper grabbed her lover's hand again. "We've never seen each other every day in the entirety of our relationship."

She grinned. "I intend on rectifying that situation."

The blonde smiled, and then Alex closed her eyes, wanting to hold that picture of Piper in her mind as she drifted off to sleep in the passenger's seat of Piper's car. She hadn't had much sleep in the time she was in prison, so at the first chance of feeling safe and comfortable, Alex's body won the battle of sleep versus wakefulness.

* * *

Alex hadn't expected Polly to be home when they arrived, and judging by the look on Piper's face, she didn't realize that her friend would be there either.

"You must be Polly?" Alex walked towards the shorter brunette. "I'm Alex."

"Hi." Polly shook Alex's hand with a skeptical look on her face. Alex noted that her greeting wasn't followed by, "It's nice to meet you."

"I didn't think you'd be here," Piper announced.

"I needed to grab a few more clothes," she said, picking up a large duffle bag. "I'll be gone in a minute."

"Don't leave on account of me," Alex said, shoving her hands into her back pockets.

Polly raised her eyebrows. "I wouldn't." She turned to the blonde. "Piper, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure." They walked to the back bedroom, and Alex couldn't hear the conversation; all she could tell was that they were whisper-yelling.

"Is everything ok?" Alex called.

"Yeah, it's fine," Piper responded.

The brunette looked around the apartment, remembering with fondness the few nights she'd spent with Piper in the small space. Things wouldn't be the same—that much she realized—and she wondered if now was the time she should go to her old apartment to see what condition it was in. She'd tried to break the lease when her place was broken into, but the owner had refused, so she hadn't paid rent in three months. For all she knew, her landlord had put her stuff on the curb and rented the place to someone else.

She'd never asked Piper to go check on her apartment, because she didn't want her lover anywhere near her ex-boyfriend. Besides, Alex's apartment, she figured, would be target number one by Kubra and his thugs.

Piper came back into the living room and grabbed Alex's hand. "Are you hungry?"

Polly took the duffle bag and said goodbye without looking back. She didn't _slam_ the door, but she shut it harder than necessary.

"Polly doesn't want me here," Alex sighed.

"It's not that…"

She held up her hand. "Yeah it is, and I get it. I'm a fucking ex-convict. She's protective of you and has every right to be. You're lucky to have someone like her in your life."

"Yes, she's protective; and yes, she's skeptical, but Polly knows what you mean to me." Piper squeezed her hand. "And I'm not backing down."

Alex leaned down to kiss her lover. "After we become… _reacquainted_ , I need to go to my apartment to check things out."

"Reacquainted?" She bit her bottom lip. "In what way?"

She rubbed Piper's back and drew her in for a deeper kiss. "In a _sexual_ way."

"That was a rhetorical question," the blonde offered between kisses.

"Was it?" She tilted her head and smiled.

"Mmm hmm." Piper was silenced with Alex's tongue in her mouth.

They shed their clothes quickly, and Alex reflected on the second time they'd ever had sex, right there in that apartment. It was when she had told Piper that she was falling in love with her. Things back then weren't _simple_ , but they were easier—more carefree. However the beauty of _this_ time around was that the whole drug cartel shit storm was behind them, and their love was put to the test—a test which they passed.

She laid Piper down on the bed, one hand behind her lover's head, the other on the mattress next to the pillow. Piper reached up, pulling Alex's head down until their lips met again. The brunette traced the curves of her lover's body with her fingertips, and then her lips followed. She knew this wasn't going to be the time to rediscover every inch of Piper's body—they needed release far too badly for slow exploration—so Alex nipped and licked and sucked until the blonde was overcome with emotion, screaming her girlfriend's name.

Moments later, Piper did the same thing to Alex, and she didn't even last as long as the blonde before her release sent the _good kind_ of shivers throughout her body and she saw stars.

"That was amazing," Alex said, sprawling out next to her lover on the bed. " _You're_ amazing."

Piper climbed higher on the bed, resting half of her naked body on top of Alex's. The blonde stared at her girlfriend for a moment before asking out of the blue, "Do you want to live together? I mean, permanently?"

Alex reached up to tuck her lover's hair behind her ear. "Yeah, I do."

She smiled. "Then let's figure that out."

Alex smiled as she ran her finger down Piper's cheek, then across her jawline. "Let's."

The two ended up in a heaping pile of lips & limbs once again, and Alex knew she'd never get enough of Piper Chapman. She wanted to live in that woman's arms and never look back.

There was still a lot to discuss, including how Alex would earn an income, but that evening wasn't about details or money or anything other than two women showing each other how they felt. There was no place that Alex would rather be than cocooned in Piper's embrace. Tomorrow, they'd figure out the rest.

* * *

The next morning, the lovers were wakened by a series of sharp knocks on the door.

Piper removed herself from her girlfriend's embrace and padded into the living room. Alex was just a few steps behind.

"Who's there?" the blonde asked as she approached the front door.

"Agent Floyd," came the voice from outside. "Just checking in."

She turned to Alex. "Floyd is one of the two agents who was assigned to me."

The dark haired woman scratched her head. "Are you sure that's him?"

Piper looked out of the peephole. "Yeah, it's him."

"Agent Huff asked me to check on the two of you," the agent stated.

"Um, give me a moment," she replied. She grabbed Alex's hand and walked back into the bedroom. "Let's get dressed. I'll introduce you."

Alex slipped on the only thing she had in her possession—a pair of jeans and a thin t-shirt. "I didn't think they'd continue protecting you after Kubra and Fahri were caught."

The blonde shrugged. "Let's find out."

They walked back towards the door, but not before Alex got a kitchen knife and hid it in her back pocket.

"What are you doing?" Piper asked with lifted brows.

She tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "I'm not taking any chances."

"What, are you going to stab a DEA agent?"

She walked towards the door again and kept her voice to a whisper. "At this point, I don't trust anyone. Open the door."

The blonde swallowed hard and was greeted by Agent Floyd. "Hello, Ms. Chapman. May I enter?"

She stepped aside, revealing Alex, who had her fingers wrapped tightly around the handle of the knife in her back pocket.

"You must be Alex Vause," Floyd said, stepping into the home. He lifted the hem of his shirt, revealing his badge. "I'm Agent Terrance Floyd, and I've been keeping an eye on Ms. Chapman. The DEA has asked me to stay on for another couple of weeks to ensure your safety."

Alex let out a long breath. "Thank you for watching out for Piper."

"It's my job, ma'am." He shook her hand. "Agent Brian Bridgewater has the second shift. Ms. Chapman can identify him, and I'm sure he'll introduce himself when he arrives this evening around 8 o'clock."

The brunette nodded. "Thank you."

Floyd addressed Alex again. "Is there anything I should know about visitors or people who might be on the lookout for you?"

"I don't think so, no." She shifted her weight to the other leg.

"I want you to know that we take our jobs very seriously, and if there's a time when you feel uncomfortable or unsafe or you witness suspicious behavior by an individual, it's imperative that you let me or Agent Bridgewater know immediately." He regarded Piper. "Ms. Chapman has been told the same. She's been a trooper through all of this."

"Got it," Alex replied, still holding onto the knife.

"Ok, then. I'll be in a different unmarked vehicle every day to avoid suspicion. If you need anything, here's my card." He handed the brunette his business card. "Call anytime, even if I'm not on duty."

"Thanks."

With that, the officer left and Piper double locked the door. "You were afraid of nothing."

Alex's shoulders dropped as if she was carrying all of her tension in them. "It's going to take me a while to trust anyone, Piper. There's no telling if Kubra still has a hit out on me."

They proceeded back to the kitchen where Piper began making coffee.

"Then lay low," the blonde offered. "You don't need to be anywhere this week or next, so stay here and let the agents do what they're paid to do: protect us."

She placed the knife back into the drawer. "I need to find a job, and the two of us should find our own place to live."

"We can do that once things settle down." Piper took her hand. "Relax, Alex. There's really no rush."

The dark haired woman pulled her girlfriend into a hug and sighed, knowing she was right, but she couldn't help feeling nervous and worried for their safety.

* * *

Alex called her landlord later that morning to enquire about the state of her apartment, and he'd informed her that there was another break-in two months ago and he'd since repaired the broken window. This news didn't surprise the brunette, and she knew that this time, it wasn't Larry. In fact, she learned from Piper that Larry had moved to a different apartment in the city.

The landlord demanded back pay on the rent, and Alex assured him she'd have the money within the week. She thanked him for leaving her belongings in her apartment and promised she'd vacate the property by the end of the month.

Alex tried to convince Piper to allow her to check out her old apartment on her own, but the blonde wouldn't budge. They informed Agent Floyd of their plan, and he loosely tailed them, and then parked a block away as the women surveyed the damage to the property.

There was nothing missing from Alex's apartment, and she figured that Kubra had instructed his men to _get her_ , not her stuff.

The brunette packed as much as she could into two large suitcases, a duffle bag and a small box, and the women loaded the trunk and backseat of Piper's car.

"I had a strange feeling in there," Alex admitted.

Piper turned to her. "Like what?"

"Like someone was watching us." She looked through the side window and then craned her neck to look behind them as Piper drove away.

"Someone _is_ watching us: Agent Floyd," the blonde offered.

Alex turned her head around again. "Maybe that's it. I'm just being paranoid."

"You are." She put a hand on her girlfriend's thigh.


	12. Chapter 12

Two weeks went by without incident, and the women had a meeting with the DEA to confirm the end of their surveillance. Piper seemed to be comforted now that that chapter of their lives was over, but Alex didn't share her relief. There was a big part of her that was still anxious and suspicious, but she tried not to let on as they proceeded with their lives like a normal couple.

They spent the next week looking at apartments, Piper promising Alex that she could afford the rent, and Alex feeling guilty as hell that she didn't have an income. To be fair, she still had money and could contribute to their lifestyle, but that cash was sure to run out in six months or less. The only saving grace, Alex thought, was that the house arrest would be almost over by then, and she'd be much more likely to gain employment.

By the end of the month, Alex's landlord had new tenants, and the newlyweds were eager to move in that weekend. Alex borrowed her girlfriend's car to get the final few boxes out of her former apartment. Polly's basement served as a makeshift storage unit, and Alex was grateful for the woman's cooperation. According to Alex, Polly still didn't like her, but Piper must have done some serious begging for her to allow Alex to store her things in her home.

The brunette took one more pass through the apartment, ensuring that she hadn't forgotten anything. She stepped into her former bedroom and noticed a fresh coat of gray paint over the wall where Larry had presumably spray painted the word, _whore,_ above her dresser. She huffed as her fingertips touched the semi-glossed wall and was thankful for that part of her life being over. Alex checked the master bathroom, and then journeyed back downstairs and into the kitchen.

The packing supplies were strewn across the kitchen island, and putting those into a plastic bin was her last task before leaving the apartment for good. She placed two rolls of tape and a wad of bubble wrap into the bin when she heard the creak of a door.

"Hello?" she called.

She heard the door shut, and it sounded like someone threw the deadbolt into gear. Alex stood up straight. "Who's there? Piper, is that you?"

A scruffy, tall man stood in the kitchen entryway with an evil grin. "Finally, we're alone."

Alex's breath caught in her throat as she took a step back. She had the scissors in her hands and quickly hid them behind her back. "Who the fuck are you?"

"You don't know me." The man took two methodical steps towards her. "But you know my boss."

 _Fuck_ was all the brunette could speak before being tackled by the intruder.

The man shoved her to the ground and tried backing her into the corner, but in one swift motion, Alex punctured his arm with the scissors. The man grabbed his fresh wound, allowing Alex to scoot away. She plunged the scissors into his thigh, effectively making him writhe in pain.

"You're not getting away," he said, trying to stand with the aid of a cabinet handle.

Alex kicked him in the gut twice, forcing the intruder to double over and land back on the floor. Blood poured out of both wounds, but the dark haired woman didn't stop. She stepped on his thigh and twisted her foot, causing the man to scream. He grabbed her ankle, so she cut him again, this time on the forehead with the blade of the scissors.

"Who sent you?" She panted as she reached for the duct tape. " _Who fucking sent you_?"

"Ugh!" The man was hunched over in pain, and she kicked him in the side for all she was worth. "Kubra. Kubra Balik sent me."

Alex turned the man onto his stomach and quickly twisted the duct tape and wrapped it around his wrists behind his back. When she finished with his arms, she tied his legs together.

"Are you working with anyone else?" she demanded. When he didn't respond, she shoved a knee in his back and pulled his hair until he screamed as his neck was being pulled to the limit. "Tell me now, or I will break your _fucking_ neck!"

"No, no! Please, let me go," he pleaded. "I'm not working with anyone else."

"Are you lying to me?" She tugged his hair harder.

"No, I swear!" He replied through clenched teeth. "There were two of us at first, but Jerome got picked up on drug charges. I swear, it's only me."

Alex threw his head down, causing him to hit his chin on the ground. He squealed again as blood began pouring out of his chin. She found her mobile phone on the counter and quickly dialed 9-1-1.

The dispatcher sent officers to the apartment, and Alex called Piper, all the while keeping a close eye on the intruder.

"Piper, someone broke into my apartment." She inhaled and exhaled in quick spurts as if she'd just run a marathon.

"What?"

"A man was sent to kill me!" she yelled, kicking the man in the side as it looked like he was trying to squirm into a sitting position. "He attacked me!"

"What the fuck, Alex? Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I tied him up. The police are on the way." She found her glasses on the opposite side of the kitchen and put them back on.

"I'm coming over right now. You need to get the fuck out of that house!" Piper's voice was laced with worry. "Do you hear me, Alex? Leave the apartment and go to that liquor store a block away."

Her breathing was still heavy. "I can't leave; I'm waiting for the cops."

"Stay on the phone with me. I just got into a cab," Piper stated. "Alex, are you hurt?"

"No, I don't think so." Truth be told, she didn't even know if she was hurt. The adrenaline was still rushing through her system. The brunette looked at her arms and legs and didn't see any blood or broken bones, so she assumed that she was unscathed.

She heard a hard knock on the door. "NYPD, open up!"

"The cops are here, Piper. I have to go." She hung up the phone and ran to the front door.

Alex quickly explained things to the two officers as they walked back into the kitchen. One of the officers handcuffed the intruder and removed the tape from his wrists and ankles as the other questioned Alex.

"He said he was sent here by my former boss, Kubra Balik, who ran an international drug ring. They locked Kubra up about a month ago."

The female officer, Lieutenant Musgrave, radioed for an ambulance.

"Sir, is that true?" The male officer asked.

The scruffy intruder nodded with shut eyes.

"What's your name?"

"Rohan Barr," the man whispered.

Lieutenant Musgrave wrote something on a small notepad. "Where do you live, Mr. Barr?"

"Next door." He winced in pain.

Alex's eyebrows shot up. She recalled hearing that Larry had moved and now wondered if he'd sold the brownstone to Kubra.

Just then, two more police officers arrived. One took Alex into the empty living room to question her, while the other joined the crew in the kitchen. The ambulance arrived ten minutes later, and one of the EMTs checked on Alex, while the other surveyed the injuries to Rohan Barr.

By the time the intruder was on a stretcher, Piper arrived, barreling into the apartment with wide, frightened eyes. "Alex!" The blonde threw her arms around her girlfriend and cradled her head against her shoulder. "Are you ok?"

"I'm ok." It wasn't until that moment when Alex's emotions got the best of her, and she felt tears stream down her face. "I'm ok," she whispered again, tugging her lover into another long hug.

* * *

The police took Alex to the station for more questioning, and Piper followed in her car.

Hours later, Alex was released and the women waited to hear more about the intruder and what the officers had found in the apartment next door.

Lieutenant Musgrave explained the preliminary findings—a computer with a string of e-mails from Kubra, Fahri and others in the cartel dating from the day Alex and Piper left Prague until July 3, the day before Kubra and Fahri were arrested.

"Seems like a pretty cut and dry case," the officer explained. "But we're going to have an agent assigned to you and Ms. Chapman again."

Piper looked up at Alex with worry, and then turned her attention to the officer. "Should we be concerned that Rohan wasn't the only guy that Kubra hired to hurt Alex?"

Lieutenant Musgrave shook her head. "I don't think that's a concern—Mr. Barr appears to be the only person that Mr. Balik hired, other than a Jerome King, who we picked up a couple of months ago for drug trafficking. We've got a couple of officers questioning Mr. King as we speak."

Alex sighed. "I hope it's really fucking over this time."

Piper took her hand.

"You're free to go now," Lieutenant Musgrave said. "Just sign out with the guys at the desk."

Both women were silent on the drive home, but Alex finally spoke as her girlfriend tried to find a parking space. "I'm sorry."

Piper looked at her. "It's not your fault."

"This whole thing is my fault," the brunette sighed. "We wouldn't be in this fucked up situation if I hadn't been in the cartel."

"We can't change that, Alex." She parked the car and turned off the engine. "But maybe, just _maybe_ , that whole part of our lives is finally over."

Alex grabbed her girlfriend's hand before taking a deep breath. "I want to work for the DEA."

Piper's eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"I want to work for the DEA," she repeated, turning to face the blonde. "Not undercover, but as a regular employee."

"That wasn't the offer," Piper stated. "Besides, I'm sure their original offer is off the table since you opted for house arrest."

"I think they'll still take me. I know shit that they don't, and I could be an asset." She lowered her head. "I want to make sure no one has to go through what we've been through over the past year."

The blonde looked out of the windshield and exhaled loudly. "If that's what you want, and they'll accept you, I guess I don't have a say in the matter."

"You _do_ have a say, Piper," Alex tried, squeezing her lover's hand. "But this wouldn't be covert stuff—it would probably be a fucking desk job."

She regarded Alex. "Let's see what they tell you, and we'll go from there."

The brunette leaned across the armrest and kissed her girlfriend. "Ok."

* * *

Author's Note: A short Epilogue is coming later today.


	13. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

* * *

"I'm home," Alex announced as she closed her umbrella and wiped her feet on the mat. "Piper?"

"In here," she called from the bedroom. "I went for a run, and the sky opened up. I'm drenched."

The brunette leaned against the doorframe leading into the bedroom and watched Piper take off her wet Nike shirt followed by her tight, black running pants.

Piper turned around. "Oh, hey."

"Keep going." She jutted her chin forward as if signifying that she wanted her girlfriend to fully undress.

It had been two years since Alex was released from prison, and they hadn't had an incident that frightened either of them after Alex was attacked at her old apartment. She'd taken a job at the DEA, and just as she'd expected, it was in the grimy basement of a field office in Queens.

After six months with the DEA, the brunette was sent to Quantico for 12 weeks of tactical and firearm training. She and Piper had quarreled about it at first, but Alex had explained the importance of this job to her, and the blonde finally acquiesced.

Over the past year, Alex had provided critical intelligence on three major narcotics busts, and the lead agent promised she'd be able to get in on the action soon. She was never much into physical fitness prior to joining the DEA, but she knew that if she wanted to leave her desk and join the guys in the field, she'd need to be in top shape.

To that end, Alex took up boxing three times a week and jogged with Piper at least twice a week. Although the dark haired woman kept up her fitness routine for her career, there was the added benefit of her lover being incredibly turned on by her toned body. Alex didn't think sex with Piper could be any better than it was two years ago, but she was proven quite wrong.

"You want me to do a strip tease?" Piper half-joked.

Alex pushed her shoulder off of the doorframe and took a step towards her girlfriend. "It's been a while."

The blonde raised her sports bra over her head, and then tossed it on the floor. "It has."

Alex wasted no time covering her lover's breasts with her hands. "I have some good news."

"Yeah?" Piper moaned, placing one hand on Alex's head as she lowered her mouth to a nipple.

"I'm going in the field tomorrow." She leaned further down and placed a string of kisses down the column of the blonde's neck.

Piper pulled back. "You are?"

"You're ok with that, right?"

They'd had many discussions about Alex's eagerness to get away from the office and into the field, and it took months of convincing for Piper to understand and accept the brunette's wishes. It had finally gotten to a point where Piper could put the risk factor aside, and she'd come around to actually thinking it was sexy.

"Yeah," she whispered.

"I want to show you something." Alex left the room briefly, and then returned a moment later holding up a black jacket with DEA written in yellow, block letters on the back.

Piper's expression turned serious and her eyes narrowed. "Take off your clothes."

"What?" The dark haired woman chuckled. "Why?"

She swallowed hard and took a step closer to her girlfriend. "Take off your clothes and put on this jacket. Maybe your gun holster, too."

"You're being ridiculous," she laughed and tried to hide her blushing cheeks.

Piper stepped out of her underwear and reached for her lover. "I want to fuck you so badly right now."

Alex dialed back her smile as she saw the _want_ in Piper's eyes. She flung off her t-shirt, and Piper's fingers flew immediately to the zipper on her jeans.

"If I would've known what this jacket would do to you, I would've gotten one a long time ago." She reached around to unclasp her bra.

The blonde shoved her lover's jeans to the ground, and Alex stepped out of them. "Put it on."

Alex did as she was told and put the black windbreaker on as Piper tugged her underwear down her long, toned legs. Once Alex was completely undressed, except for the DEA jacket, the blonde took a step back and eyed her up and down.

Alex adjusted her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose. "Is this what you had in mind?"

Her lover pounced on her, shoving Alex hard against the wall, lips smashing against her fair skin. (The gun holster would be for another time.) When their mouths met, Piper raised her hands to cup Alex's face, and the brunette deepened the kiss. She ran her hands up the curves of the blonde's hips and then back down again. Piper kissed a trail between Alex's breasts, to her stomach and then on her center. She got on her knees and sucked and licked her lover as she stared up at a writhing Alex.

" _Fuck_ , Piper." Alex couldn't help bucking into her lover's mouth as her quick release poured out of her and her knees almost gave out. "Holy shit," she panted. "Someone was horny."

"Not past tense." The blonde stood. "I _am_ horny."

"Oh, yeah?" Alex smirked. "Let's see what I can do about that."

She pushed Piper toward the bed until the blonde flopped down on her back. She pulled the blonde's calves until her knees bent where the mattress ended. It was Alex's turn to bend down and make love to her partner. She didn't think it would be possible for Piper to have an orgasm faster than her own just minutes before, but she was wrong. Piper yelled her name as she rode out the waves of pleasure.

Alex climbed onto the bed next to a panting Piper and pulled the younger woman into her arms. "Note to self: wear DEA jacket when I want to get laid."

Piper laughed between heavy breaths and turned to face her lover. "I know what this means to you."

The brunette sobered, realizing that her girlfriend was talking about her job, not the sex.

She brushed Alex's dark hair over her shoulder. "Just promise that you'll be careful."

"I swear, I'll be careful." She looked Piper in the eyes and smiled tenderly. "I want to come back to this… _to you_ …every fucking night."

Piper smiled tenderly. "That makes two of us."

The End

* * *

Author's Note: It feels so good to finally have this sequel done! It sat on my hard drive for months and months with no real direction. Thanks again to my beta, grandmasbackyard, and to all of you for following and reviewing this story and _The Peril of Proximity_. I don't have anything else in the works right now, but I hope to read some fanfiction that I haven't had a chance to read over the past six months. Have a great day!


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